Disciplinary Proceedings

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what proportion of staff within his Office who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British;
	(2)  what proportion of staff within his Office who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) today.

Equal Opportunities

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consideration his Office gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) today.

Official Visits

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Leader of the House what visits each of the Ministers in his Office have made since January 2013; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Andrew Lansley: In February 2013, I visited the Scottish Parliament to examine parliamentary procedures and practices.
	In May 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House and I undertook an overseas visit to the European Institutions in Brussels. This visit provided an opportunity to consider and promote the role of national parliaments, including the House of Commons, in the processes of European legislation.
	In December 2013, the Deputy Leader of the House visited Northern Ireland to engage with various Northern Irish charities and campaign groups on the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill.
	In February 2014, I and the Deputy Leader of the House visited the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff to examine parliamentary procedures and the work of the Petitions Committee.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many hon. Members wrote to his Department on behalf of constituents about (a) steps taken to alleviate fuel poverty in the private rented sector, (b) the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (c) the disconnection of (i) gas and (ii) electricity supplies in the last 12 months; what the average time taken to reply was; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such reply; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the Departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members, with the case title ‘Fuel Poverty’. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned fuel poverty in the private rented sector. The average time taken to reply was 21 working days.
	In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC from hon. Members, with the case title ‘Warm Homes’. In the period since 10 June 2013, 13 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. On sifting through these individually, none specifically mentioned the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. The average time taken to reply was 13 working days.
	An initial search of the correspondence system relating to ‘disconnections’ of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
	Copies of the relevant correspondence will be placed in the Library of the House.
	DECC do not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore, providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) written, (b) email and (c) telephone representations he has received on (i) his plans to alleviate fuel poverty in the private rented sector, (ii) the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 and (iii) the disconnection of (A) gas and (B) electricity supplies in each month since May 2010; how many such representations were from (1) individuals and (2) organisations; if he will place in the Library copies of the responses sent to such representations; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: For the purpose of answering this question, various searches of the departmental correspondence system have been conducted. In relation to fuel poverty in the private rented sector, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title “Fuel Poverty”. In the period since May 2010, 657 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 264 of these were from individuals, and 77 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
	In relation to the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, it has been possible to search the records on correspondence received by DECC, with the case title “Warm Homes”. In the period since May 2010, 176 pieces of correspondence were given this case title. 33 of these were from individuals and 11 were from organisations (the remaining items were either from hon. Members, or cases transferred from other Departments). Filtering down more specifically would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
	An initial search of the correspondence system relating to “disconnections” of electricity and/or gas has not yielded reliable results. A more detailed subject search would involve significant manual sifting of individual correspondence items and thus entail a disproportionate cost.
	DECC do not log telephone representations centrally, and therefore providing a response on the number of telephone representations to the Department on these subjects would also entail disproportionate cost.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Gregory Barker: From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Therefore central records only exist from that date.
	The proportion of civil servants in DECC, who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British, is less than 1% of the total number of civil servants in each year.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of staff within his Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Gregory Barker: From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Therefore central records only exist from that date.
	The proportion of civil servants in DECC, who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British, is less than 1% of the total number of civil servants in each year.

Energy: Profits

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average profit made by energy companies on the energy bills of households in each constituency in the UK.

Michael Fallon: Data on the average profit made by energy companies at the level of households in each constituency is not available.
	The average pre-tax profit made per household consumer in 2012 was £53 or 4.3%. (Source: “Making the Profits of the six largest energy suppliers clear” factsheet, Ofgem). Ofgem also estimates pre-tax margins over the next 12 months using current data in their Supply Market Indicator. Their latest estimate of pre-tax margins for May 2014 to April 2015 was £96 or 7% (Source: Understanding energy bills, Ofgem).

Equal Opportunities

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change considers diversity during the procurement or grant allocation process by including diversity within evaluation criteria when appropriate. Diversity is included when it is particularly relevant to the business requirements and circumstances of an individual procurement or grant. In addition the Department’s standard terms and conditions of contract include specific clauses that cover equality and non-discrimination. The Department also promotes non-discrimination through open procurement procedures and we have removed barriers to supplier entry as part of our efforts to improve engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises. Our contractors are required to abide by the DECC Equality Scheme, details of which can be found through the following link.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47894/359-decc-equality-diversity-strategy-condoc.pdf

Access to Work Programme

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of changes to the time taken to review applications for deaf people during the three month suspension of the 30 hour rule in the access to work grant.

Michael Penning: The 30 hour guidance will not be applied to new applicants during this suspension. Existing customers whose support has been changed as a result of the guidance can request a full review of their situation.

Access to Work Programme

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what impact assessment he made before introducing the 30 hour rule in the criteria for the access to work grant; and what impact assessment is now being made.

Michael Penning: Once the Access to Work review is completed, a full impact assessment will be conducted.

Access to Work Programme

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support will be available for deaf people whose support was reduced as a result of the 30 hour rule in the access to work grant.

Michael Penning: Customers can request a full review of their access to work claim at any time.

Child Support

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to expand the PAYE reporting in real time to Child Support Agency claims.

Steve Webb: Since 25 November 2013, all new applications for child maintenance are made to the 2012 scheme, which is run by the Child Maintenance Service. The Child Support Agency (CSA), which administers the 1993 and 2003 Schemes, is now closed to new applications and there are plans in place to gradually end liabilities on these schemes over a three year period starting this summer.
	Unlike 1993 and 2003 scheme cases, 2012 scheme maintenance calculations are based on historic data supplied by interfaces with HMRC and Jobcentre Plus IT systems. In the vast majority of applications these interfaces return information to allow a calculation to be made. This is reviewed on an annual basis or where there are in-year changes of at least a 25% change in the level of income. This simplified approach provides parents with greater certainty over the level of maintenance payable. In instances where HMRC information is not available our process involves gathering current income information from the paying parent or employer. It is for these 2012 scheme cases that we are currently exploring opportunities to access and use real time earnings information.

Children: Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of welfare reforms since May 2010 on levels of child poverty.

Esther McVey: The Government has not made an assessment of the effect of welfare reforms on levels on child poverty. Given the large number of reforms and variables involved, the impact of welfare changes cannot be seen in isolation.
	However, the guiding principles of all of this Government’s welfare reforms are to get more people into work by making work pay.
	A key component of the welfare reform is universal credit. Universal credit is expected to improve work incentives by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work, and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings.
	We estimate this new reform will lift around 300,000 children out of poverty.

Children: Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children in poverty in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in each year until 2020.

Esther McVey: The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty either locally or nationally. The number of children in poverty is dependent on a number of factors which cannot be reliably predicted, including the median income.
	The Government does not believe it is possible to accurately project child poverty to 2020. Poverty projections are rarely accurate. For example, IFS projections in October 2011 suggested the number of children in relative poverty would fall by 100,000 in 2010-11, whereas in fact it fell by 300,000.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claimants in the Employment and Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group are currently on the Work programme; and how many such claimants had the period before they were fit for work assessed as (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) over 12 months;
	(2)  how many claimants of employment and support allowance referred to the Work programme since June 2011 had an estimated period before they were fit for work of (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) over 12 months.

Esther McVey: The information we have in respect of both referrals and attachments, by prognosis group, are given in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of Work programme referrals and attachments by ESA prognosis customer groups, Great Britain, 1 June 2011 to 31 December 2013 
			 ESA prognosis customer group Referrals Attachments 
			 All ESA WRAG 242,510 234,210 
			 ESA (c) WRAG Mandatory 10,470 9,990 
			 ESA (c) WRAG Voluntary 1,060 1,040 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 12Mth Mandatory 37,370 35,560 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 12Mth Voluntary 1,970 1,900 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6Mth Existing 5,470 5,230 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Mandatory 98,290 96,100 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Voluntary 750 730 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Mandatory ExIB 23,230 22,590 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 3/6 Mth Voluntary ExIB 210 210 
			 ESA Mandatory (IR) WRAG 12m 42,710 40,840 
			 ESA (IR) WRAG 12m Mandatory EXIB 20,980 20,040 
			 ESA Credit Only 230 210 
			 ESA (IR) Support Group 360 350 
			 ESA (c) Support Group 100 100 
			 ESA (IR) Support Group ExIB 100 100 
			 ESA (c) Support Group ExIB 100 90

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answers of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 603W, column 604W and column 605W on employment and support allowance, how many people who have been given a prognosis that (a) a return to work could be considered within two years and (b) return to work is unlikely in the longer term have been placed in the work-related activity group since October 2008.

Michael Penning: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Outcomes of functional assessments by prognosis for the ESA work-related activity group, Great Britain: October 2008 to September 2013 
			  WRAG: Claimants with a prognosis of: 
			  Under two years Two years or more 
			 New Claims—Initial assessment 451,800 11,800 
		
	
	
		
			 New Claims—Repeat assessment 385,800 19,700 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker’s decision or the recommendation made by the Atos Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker’s decision is not yet available. 3. The data presented above comes from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions. It related to new and repeat ESA claims. In October 2008, ESA replaced IB for new claims. Starting with a trial in October 2010, and reaching a full scale national roll-out in April 2011, existing IB claims began to be phased out, with claimants reassessed to see if they qualify for ESA instead. Source: Data in the table above are derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare.

Employment Schemes

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the Freedom of Information request made by Frank Zola to his Department on 28 April 2014, on community work placements, when his Department plans to publish the names of the 70 placement providers under the Help to Work scheme; how many current placement providers there are; if he will publish the names of all such organisations providing such placements under the Help to Work scheme in (a) Brighton and Hove local authority area and (b) in the UK; and if he will publish job descriptions for those placements (i) provided to date and (ii) planned to be provided.

Esther McVey: The Department can confirm that it holds the names of the 70 subcontractors under the Help to Work scheme as referenced in the freedom of information request made by Frank Zola. However, the Department cannot disclose their names as the information is intended for publication at a future date.
	In terms of names of organisations that are work placement hosts, the Department wishes not to disclose the information as we believe that the public balance weighs in favour of withholding the information.

Housing Benefit: Brent

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in the London borough of Brent are affected by the household benefit cap; what the composition of the households is; and what the length of time and amount capped by the household benefit cap is.

Esther McVey: The following information on number of households capped (latest data March 2014) is available by local authority at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-march-2014
	Data is available on number of households capped (current and cumulative), amount capped, number of dependents and household type.
	Details on length of time capped is not available.

New Enterprise Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received the New Enterprise Allowance since its commencement; and how many such people have subsequently (a) returned to jobseeker's allowance and (b) registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed.

Esther McVey: The number of New Enterprise Allowance starts since its commencement is regularly published by the Department and can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-work-programme-support-new-enterprise-allowance-march-2014
	The Department has made an assessment of the number of New Enterprise Allowance participants returning to any out-of-work benefit in the following published analysis. This suggests that 78% of people who started drawing the New Enterprise Allowance remained off benefit continuously for 12 months.
	ttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225167/NEA_benefit_status_ad-hoc_v3.pdf
	With regards to the number registered with HM Revenue and Customs; the Department does not hold individual level data on self-employment with which we would be able to make this assessment.

Occupational Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made in ensuring that all eligible employees have been offered automatic enrolment into a workplace pension scheme with minimum employer contributions.

Michael Penning: So far automatic enrolment has been a stunning success. The latest information published by the Pensions Regulator on 12 June 2014 showed that more than 15,000 employers have completed the automatic enrolment process and 3.6 million eligible workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension.
	Around 99% of employers who have completed registration have done so without the need for the Pensions Regulator to use their statutory powers. Employers have understood that providing a workplace pension and helping their workers plan for retirement is now the norm.
	Preliminary findings from the 2013 Employers' Pension Provision survey show that around 90% of automatically enrolled workers have remained members of a pension scheme. This early success has led the Government to revise down its opt out predictions. Instead of the anticipated 30% opt out rate the Government now expects only 15% of individuals will opt out once automatic enrolment is fully rolled out.

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have made claims for personal independence payment following a stroke in the UK since April 2013; and how many have received a decision from his Department.

Michael Penning: The available data on claims to personal independence payment was published on 5 June 2014 and is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014
	Information on the number of successful new claimants is available against a range of conditions, including neurological conditions which will include those who have had a stroke. The information is published and can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department has assessed whether the new personal independence payment claims, assessment and decision-making process meets obligations to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people, including terminally ill people; what mechanisms are being used for gathering feedback from claimants on the new process; and how many people have provided feedback on the process to date.

Michael Penning: The Department carries out analysis of the likely impacts of its policies on protected groups, including disabled people as required by the Equality Act. Equality impact assessments conducted in respect of PIP are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-living-allowance-reform-equality-impact-assessment
	Although we do not keep details of the numbers of individual claimants who have provided feedback, we regularly receive and consider feedback from a variety of sources including claimants, our staff, providers and from our Implementation Stakeholder Forum which hears views from a wide range of organisations representing and supporting disabled people. I, along with my officials, meet regularly with organisations representing disabled people.
	We are conducting two independent reviews of PIP, the first of which will report by the end of 2014. The terms of reference for this review are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/simplifying-the-welfare-system-and-making-sure-work-pays/supporting-pages/introducing-personal-independence-payment

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions are made for assessing people with aphasia following stroke when claiming personal independence payments (PIP); what the exceptional criteria are for issuing PIP paper claim forms; and how many PIP1 paper claim forms have been (a) requested and (b) issued.

Michael Penning: Where it is clear from their questionnaire or from medical evidence that an individual who is making a claim for PIP has aphasia, the health professional will advise on the level of relevant functional loss on a paper basis wherever possible. Where a face-to-face consultation is required, claimants are encouraged to bring another person with them where they would find this helpful.
	In exceptional circumstances, where a claimant is unable to deal with the Department by telephone and has no one to help them make the telephone call, claimants can request a paper version of the initial claim form. Additionally we can offer a home visit. The Department does not collect details of the number of requested or issued paper claim forms.

Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Ministers in his Department have visited Preston since June 2010; on what date each such visit took place; what the purpose was of each such visit; and who those Ministers met on each such visit.

Esther McVey: The Department does not maintain a central record of all ministerial visits and to gather this information would be to do so at disproportionate costs.

Social Security Benefits: Greater Manchester

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many residents of (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester have had their benefits sanctioned in each year since 2010;
	(2)  how many people have had their benefits sanctioned in (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Esther McVey: The available information as requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction applied in Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency and Manchester local authority: 2010 - 2013 
			  Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency Manchester local authority 
			 2010 1,310 7,600 
			 2011 1,400 8,140 
			 2012 1,310 8,350 
			 2013 1,290 9,590 
			 Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance, or income support (lone parents). 3. Data are for January to December in each year. 4. Income support lone parents receive a fixed sanction of 20% of the personal allowance rate of a single claimant (not aged less than 25) for each failure to attend/participate in a Work Focused Interview until 10p is left in payment. This sanction lasts until the individual attends and participates in a Work Focused Interview. In the case where there is more than one sanction in place the claimant need only attend/participate in one Work Focused Interview in order for all related sanctions to be removed from their benefit. 5. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA and ESA from 22 October 2012 and 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules 6. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Sources: 1. (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database 2. (IS): Income Support Computer System

Social Security Benefits: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of each type of benefit were sanctioned and for what period by Warrington Jobcentre in each year since 2010.

Esther McVey: The information requested on the duration of benefit sanctions is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The available information on the number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction in Warrington Jobcentre Plus office: 2010-13 
			  Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) Employment and support allowance (ESA) 
			 2010 1,121 146 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 912 45 
			 2012 1,436 36 
			 2013 1,488 55 
			 Notes: 1. Statistical disclosure control has been applied to protect against the identification of individual claimants. 2. Figures for income support lone parents are not available by Jobcentre Plus office. 3. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. 4. Data refers to January to December in each year shown. 5. New regulations introduced a new revised sanctions regime for JSA and ESA claimants from 22 October and 3 December 2012 respectively. 6. This data is published at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the risk of fraud in (a) the pathfinders for universal credit and (b) the roll out of the universal credit system.

Esther McVey: DWP has taken a number of steps to design out fraud and error in the universal credit system.
	Prior to the introduction of universal credit (UC), DWP assessed the risk of fraud and error and concluded the risk would be mitigated by restricting the initial claims in pathfinder areas to those with the lowest risk of fraud, and to exclude more complex claims where fraud or error was more likely. DWP also implemented an automated data-matching capability to defend the UC system against the top causes of fraud or error. This Counter Fraud Capability introduced an automated pre-payment check for the first time to prevent fraud. It checked the very first UC claim and has checked every claim made since. This process also conducts a weekly scrutiny of all the data DWP holds against all UC claims to detect any fraud that may have subsequently started so we can take action immediately.
	To provide a secure roll-out of UC nationally, DWP's specialists in security and counter-fraud work are working with the UC Programme to ensure that the essential security and counter-fraud controls are in place before the digital 'end state' service can go live. By drawing on security and counter-fraud knowledge from across Government and external security expertise, we are ensuring that the core digital service is 'secure by design' from the outset, and that the service is also supported by the right online security and counter fraud capabilities.

Wood: Health Hazards

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the health dangers of wood dust.

Michael Penning: I have been asked to respond as this falls under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
	Wood dust can cause non-reversible health problems including skin disorders, obstruction of the nose and rhinitis, asthma and nasal cancer. There are appropriate workplace controls and HSE provides comprehensive guidance for employers on these.
	Exposure to wood dust in workplaces is regulated by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) which require exposures to be reduced as far below the workplace exposure limit as is reasonably practicable. Suitable control measures may include local exhaust ventilation, on-tool extraction systems and in some cases respiratory protective equipment. Workers will usually require health surveillance checks.
	HSE has recently commissioned a new study to update the evidence base for wood dust exposure and health effects in the UK construction and woodworking industries. The study will run over the next two to three years and is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Laboratory with support and assistance from industry.

Work Capability Assessment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training (a) Atos staff and (b) staff of his Department are given in mental health for the purposes of assessing whether claimants are fit for work.

Michael Penning: All health care professionals receive training in mental health issues as part of their induction training, are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education which includes modules on mental health issues, and have access to Mental Function Champions.
	Atos training and guidance materials are regularly reviewed and external experts including the Royal College of Psychiatrists are involved in quality assurance.
	All health care professionals are monitored to ensure that their work meets the required quality standards. If a problem is identified, the health care professional may be required to undertake tailored training, which may involve training in mental health issues if required.
	DWP staff receive training in respect of decisions concerning medical or disability issues, including mental health. Specifically learning is provided on:
	understanding the WCA descriptors;
	gathering evidence from the claimant and medical professionals; and
	using the evidence to apply the descriptors and determine capability for work.
	Within the learning emphasis is placed on the ongoing support available to decision makers from Atos Healthcare to interpret and understand medical information.
	In the Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment published in December 2013, Doctor Litchfield made a number of recommendations related to training in mental health which have been accepted subject to further scoping work.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people referred to the Work Programme who fail to participate in mandated activity.

Esther McVey: The available information for jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) claimants who have been sanctioned for failure to participate in the WP is given in Table 1.8 here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-and-employment-and-support-allowance-sanctions-decisions-made-to-december-2013
	The available information for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who have been sanctioned failure to participate in a work related activity, which will include the WP, in given in Table 2.6 of the same spreadsheet.
	This information is also published and available at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Dogs: Injuries

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dogs were injured as a result of (a) dog fighting, (b) dog baiting and (c) unprovoked attacks by other dogs in each region of the UK in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: The data requested is not collected or held by DEFRA.

Food

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to his Department's Sustainable Consumption Report, published in July 2013, what progress has been made on developing integrated healthy sustainable dietary guidelines to help health professionals, educators, businesses and the public make healthier and more sustainable food choices.

George Eustice: The Sustainable Consumption Report, published on 29 July 2013, was produced by a group of organisations following discussions facilitated by DEFRA. The report reflects the views of the stakeholders who were involved in its production; it does not represent Government policy.
	I met with the co-chairs of the working groups in March, and work has now started to peer review and publish the principles of a healthy and sustainable diet.

Pigs: Disease Control

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts about the threat to pig health in the UK arising from (a) African swine fever and (b) porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus.

George Eustice: DEFRA, through the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency, undertakes routine scanning surveillance for the detection of new or re-emerging animal diseases that may pose a threat to animal health or public health. When an increase in threat is recognised, we publish risk assessments which are shared directly with our European colleagues and the European Commission. These are publicly available at
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/monitoring/poa/
	On African swine fever, we produced a risk assessment following the detection of wild boar cases in the European Union on the border with Belarus in January 2014. The situation and the risks posed to member states are discussed at meetings of the Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health. These discussions have led to additional safeguard measures and the increased level of surveillance in Poland and Lithuania.
	DEFRA was made aware of porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) and the emergence of a new virulent strain in the Americas and Asia in May 2013 when we first published an assessment of the risk of the disease entering the UK. We shared this assessment with the European Commission and our European colleagues. This was to raise awareness in a public forum, despite PED not being a notifiable disease. Since then, we have worked closely with other Member States with significant pig industries and the Commission to share our concerns. This has resulted in improved safeguard measures and a commissioned piece of work by European Food Safety Authority to look at risk pathways.

Water Charges: South West

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether agreement has been reached to extend to 2020 the reduction to household water bills for South West Water customers.

Dan Rogerson: The Government announced the decision to fund South West Water to enable it to cut bills by £50 per year for all household customers in the Budget 2011. Households in the South West have received the reduction since April 2013. The understanding has always been that this reduction would continue for the duration of both the current spending review and the next.

Air Force: Leukaemia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force armourers have died from leukaemia in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: From 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 (the last full year for which data is available), no RAF Armourer personnel have died as a result of leukaemia.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have applied to join the Royal Navy cadet force in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: The number of people who made a formal application to join the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Combined Cadet Force in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Adult Volunteers Cadets 
			 2009 50 300 
			 2010 40 570 
			 2011 40 1,140 
			 2012 40 1,720 
			 2013 50 1,650 
		
	
	In accordance with convention these figures have been rounded.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend Schedule 2 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 to make the referral to the Service Police of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism mandatory by commanding officers; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: There are no current proposals to amend schedule 2 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 to include the offences of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism. A Commanding Officer made aware of an allegation that any of those three offences have been committed is under a statutory obligation to ensure it is investigated appropriately. Additional guidance, provided in the Manual of Service Law, informs Commanding Officers to take legal advice when making a decision as to who should investigate, with the presumption that the service police should normally be made aware.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in preparing a cost-benefit analysis of the recruitment and training of minors; and when he expects to publish a report on that issue.

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answers of 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 696W and 698W and of 18 December 2013, Official Report,  columns 632W, on armed forces: young people, if he will publish the terms of reference of the cost benefit analysis of the recruitment of young people into the armed forces; when he expects that report to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The report has been submitted by the Army to Ministry of Defence (MOD) HQ, for consideration. It is not possible to provide a publication date for the report until the report's findings have been considered.
	The terms of reference of the report are as follows:
	Question:
	“What is the cost overhead to MOD of Phase 1 training for Junior Entry (JE) soldiers versus Standard Entry (SE) soldiers joining the Army?”

Arms Trade

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in the arms industry in the UK.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence no longer compiles national or regional defence industry employment statistics as they do not directly support policy-making or operations.

Army: Ethnic Groups

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many black and minority ethnic personnel have served in each regiment of the Army in each of the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry: The number of black and minority ethnic personnel serving in each regiment of the Army in each of the last 10 years is detailed as follows:
	
		
			 Arm/Service 1 April 2005 1 April 2006 1 April 2007 1 April 2008 1 April 2009 
			 Total 7,780 8,150 8,450 8,580 9,420 
			 Staff 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 230 240 260 320 350 
			 Royal Artillery 480 510 530 660 790 
			 Royal Engineers 420 460 500 530 600 
			 Royal Signals 380 390 390 380 410 
			 Infantry 1,910 1,900 1,800 1,940 2,240 
			 Army Air Corps 110 110 110 120 120 
			 Royal Army Chaplain’s Department - - - - - 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 2,560 2,820 3,030 2,780 2,930 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 260 290 330 330 330 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 470 480 520 610 680 
			 Adjutant General’s Corps 660 640 630 570 590 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps - - - 10 - 
			 Small Arms School Corps - - - - - 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 40 50 70 70 80 
			 Intelligence Corps 50 50 50 60 60 
			 Royal Army Physical Training Corps 20 20 20 20 20 
		
	
	
		
			 Queen Alexander’s Royal Army Nursing Corps 70 80 90 100 120 
			 Corps of Army Musicians 20 20 20 20 20 
			 General List/General Service Corps 30 40 20 10 10 
			 Long Service List 30 30 30 30 40 
			 Unknown ethnicity 6,900 6,080 5,740 6,850 6,690 
		
	
	
		
			 Arm/Service 1 April 2010 1 April 2011 1 April 2012 1 April 2013 1 April 2014 
			 Total 10,070 10,090 10,300 10,140 9,360 
			 Staff 20 20 10 10 10 
			 Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 380 360 350 330 300 
			 Royal Artillery 880 880 880 840 730 
			 Royal Engineers 670 710 750 780 720 
			 Royal Signals 460 480 490 480 450 
			 Infantry 2,410 2,430 2,550 2,580 2,310 
			 Army Air Corps 110 100 100 90 90 
			 Royal Army Chaplain’s Department - - - - - 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 3,020 2,960 2,940 2,820 2,640 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 330 320 310 340 330 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 720 700 670 640 560 
			 Adjutant General’s Corps 720 780 860 850 840 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Small Arms School Corps - - - - 10 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 80 80 80 80 60 
			 Intelligence Corps 60 60 60 60 50 
			 Royal Army Physical Training Corps 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Queen Alexander’s Royal Army Nursing Corps 120 130 130 140 150 
			 Corps of Army Musicians 20 20 20 20 30 
			 General List/General Service Corps 10 20 20 20 20 
			 Long Service List 30 30 30 20 20 
			 Unknown ethnicity 2,270 650 310 240 170 
		
	
	The figures are for Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, TA and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from Gurkha Trained Adult Male to United Kingdom Trained Adult Personnel. Data has not previously been recorded for the Army Reserve.
	Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.

HMS Sultan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he or officials in his Department have had with counterparts in the Royal Canadian Navy or the US Navy on personnel of those navies undertaking conversion training at HMS Sultan to fill current vacancies in suitably qualified and experienced personnel positions.

Anna Soubry: There have been no such discussions with the Royal Canadian navy or the United States navy. However, we work closely with many nations and provide opportunities for their personnel to serve with the Royal Navy through a range of schemes including exchange and liaison postings.

Military Aircraft

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to confirm the decision to allow a process change to enable the Rivet Joint signal intelligence aircraft to be certificated under Military Aviation Authority regulations.

Philip Dunne: The UK Rivet Joint could not be certified under Military Aviation Authority Regulatory Publications (MRP) due to difficulties in obtaining documentary evidence of the aircraft’s original design basis. The MRP allows an alternative course of action to be agreed where a regulated entity cannot fully comply. Accordingly, an alternative approach was agreed for Rivet Joint to achieve the same level of design safety assurance. The aircraft has been cleared by the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, the RAF's Release to Service Authority, to fly to an initial Release to Service and completed its first flight on 23 May 2014.

Reserve Forces

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department provides to reserve military personnel forced to leave military service as a result of injury sustained in the course of duty.

Anna Soubry: The provision of health care for veterans in the UK is the responsibility of NHS (England) and the devolved Administrations. For NHS (England) this is the responsibility of individual GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The comprehensive services CCGs commission reflect local priorities and the aspirations of the Armed Forces Covenant.
	When mobilised, a Reservist has the same entitlement to health care provided by Defence Medical Services as a Regular Service person. The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Programme provides rehabilitation for injured or ill personnel, including Reservists mobilised for operations. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is extending rehabilitation services to Reservists injured during training; which will facilitate their return to fitness.
	The MOD also provides War Disablement Pensions under the War Pensions Scheme if Reservists are no longer serving in HM Armed Forces and their disablement arose before 6 April 2005. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme provides compensation for any injury, illness or death which is caused by service on or after 6 April 2005.
	Help and advice is available to all veterans, including Reserves, from Veterans UK (formerly the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency). Information about how to claim a war pension or AFCS is available from Veterans UK at:
	www.veterans-uk.info
	or e-mail:
	veterans.help@spva.gsi.gov.uk
	or free helpline 0808 1914 2 18. Veterans UK can signpost individuals to other sources of assistance including the Veteran’s Welfare Service, which provides dedicated welfare support to veterans (including Reserves), their families, and dependants.

Shipbuilding: Portsmouth

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of proposals to utilise the current BAE shipyard in Portsmouth subsequent to its planned closure.

Andrew Murrison: Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) have been appointed as the Ministry of Defence's marketing agents for the facilities being vacated by BAE Systems' shipbuilding operation.
	LSH have received 19 expressions of interest which they are following up with site visits and/or provision of further information. This phase of the campaign is expected to run until the end of June 2014, when all of the expressions of interest will be fully assessed to determine whether any of them would be an appropriate and compatible future user for the site.

Shipbuilding: Portsmouth

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that specialised manufacturing and engineering equipment located at the BAE shipyard, Portsmouth, will be made available to potential new users of the shipyard.

Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence is in discussion with BAE Systems over the feasibility of leaving specialised plant and machinery on the site when shipbuilding in Portsmouth ceases later this year. These discussions are continuing but no decisions have been taken regarding what equipment might be available to a potential new user of the site.

Armed Conflict: Minerals

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 13 May 2014, Official Report, column 201WH, on political and human rights (African Great Lakes), what steps the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights team is taking to encourage companies to participate in voluntary principles concerning supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected areas.

Mark Simmonds: During the debate on 13 May 2014 I said that we were encouraging companies and countries to join the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. In the last two years, I have met a range of UK companies to discuss the Voluntary Principles. Three of those companies have joined or have applied to join the initiative. Officials, often working with other member Governments of the Voluntary Principles, participate in in-country workshops, projects and other activity to support and encourage the participation of new Governments in the initiative. On 11 June 2014 I met the Justice Minister of Mozambique to discuss the Voluntary Principles, and in April the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary raised the Voluntary Principles with President Kikwete of Tanzania.
	In terms of responsible sourcing of minerals, officials participate in discussions with UK industry, and more broadly with international partners and non-governmental organisations to support responsible sourcing. The focus of these discussions is the OECD due diligence guidance I referred to on 13 May 2014. DFID have provided financial support through the $90 million World Bank—DFID ProMines project towards the implementation of the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism, a publicly-available map of armed groups on mining sites through the International Peace Information Service as well as traceability schemes such as the ITRI tin supply chain initiative.

Arms Trade: Treaties

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the remaining states who have not yet ratified the Arms Trade Treaty do so.

William Hague: We will work to encourage states to sign and to ratify, in order to reach the 50 ratifications that are required to bring the treaty into force. Like the negotiations on the treaty itself, this will take time and require the considerable efforts and persistence of a broad coalition of supporters.
	The UK has allocated £350,000 to support projects that will help countries to sign, ratify and implement the arms trade treaty (ATT). We are working through the UN and EU with countries that require technical assistance and advice on how to implement certain aspects of the treaty e.g. enforcement training and framing legislation correctly. Other activities include raising awareness with key partners in regions such as west Africa, where communities are seriously affected by the illicit trade in small arms.
	This year, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's counter-proliferation programme, we will be funding a series of ATT-related projects specifically focused on ATT signature, ratification, implementation and early entry into force.

Balkans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the European Commission provides support to the victims of recent flooding in the Balkans; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The UK has worked closely with the EU European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), and offered advice and assistance during all phases of the flood response effort.
	In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), between 18 and 23 May a 33-person water rescue team from the British Fire Service was deployed to work alongside EU Force (EUFOR) Operation Althea and local rescue efforts. They rescued nearly 200 people, delivered large amounts of humanitarian aid, and helped restore power in villages north of Bijeljina.
	In Serbia, the UK provided 64 radios for the Serbian Ministry of the Interior, to assist with the co-ordination of their response teams; and donated £280,000 worth of heavy lift and transport vehicles to the Serbian Red Cross to aid their relief distribution effort.
	A team from the UK flew out to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the week commencing 20 May to assess likely humanitarian and recovery needs. Subsequently the UK provided £250,000 to support a World Vision flood response project in the region focusing on sanitation and health and providing support for 140,000 people made homeless by the floods. ECHO have released €3.2 million in humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable population in BiH and in Serbia and the Commission has reallocated a further €62 million to support short to medium-term recovery and reconstruction needs in the affected areas. To both the UK will have contributed 15% and we will continue to work with the European Commission to try to identify any further assistance which could be made available from existing budgets.
	In BiH, EUFOR Operation Althea, to which the UK contributes troops in-theatre and in reserve, assisted the BiH armed forces in their response to the flooding. The First Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, who provide part of EUFOR’s intermediate reserve, and are in BiH for a routine operational rehearsal, are assisting the BiH armed forces in this regard.
	The Government will continue to work closely with the EU, the UN and other international organisations to assess what further help might be given to help both Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina recover from the impact of the floods.

Burundi

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Burundi.

Mark Simmonds: We are concerned about recent developments in the security situation in Burundi. The situation remains tense with limited political space not conducive to the protection of human rights.
	During my visit in April, I heard concerns from Burundians and the international community about the increasing limitations on political space and the resultant challenge that could pose for next year’s elections. The UN Office in Burundi (BNUB), which is playing an important role reporting on human rights and bringing stability to Burundi, have warned that as the country approaches elections in 2015, there is a possibility of violence.
	I am particularly concerned about the trend of increased violence by the youth wings of political parties. I discussed these issues with the Burundian President Nkurunzia during my visit to Burundi in April 2014. I also emphasised the importance of consolidating peace and democracy and that reconciliation and free and fair elections were key to Burundi’s future. Officials, including from our high commission in Kigali, continue to monitor the situation closely
	We welcome the UN Security Council’s increased focus on Burundi and our permanent representative to the UN emphasised the importance of reconciliation and holding free and fair elections during April’s UN Security Council debates on Burundi. We strongly support the resulting presidential statement which expressed concern at the violence and the closing down of political space.

Central Africa

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to integrate the preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative throughout the Great Lakes region.

Mark Simmonds: The preventing sexual violence in conflict initiative (PSVI) is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office priority. In the Great Lakes region, PSVI focuses on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the problem of sexual violence in conflict is most acute. The DRC was a focus country for the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict that took place in London on 10 to 13 June 2014. At that meeting the high level DRC delegation presented progress on its national action plans to tackle sexual violence in conflict and discussed with the international community how to overcome the challenges.
	During his visit to eastern DRC in March 2013 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) announced over £1 million in funding to a range of organisations tackling rape and sexual violence. Other British embassies and high commissions in the Great Lakes region run smaller scale projects and raise awareness of sexual violence in conflict and to promote the PSVI agenda. The International Protocol on Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict was launched on 11 June 2014 at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. It was field tested in the DRC and Uganda.

China

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of allegations of repressive measures taken towards civil society activists in China related to commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown; and whether the Government has made representations to the Chinese government on that matter.

William Hague: We are concerned at reports of detentions in relation to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, and we raised our concerns about this with the Chinese authorities during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in London on 20 May 2014. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), also raised this issue with the Chinese authorities on 19 May 2014 and made a statement on 21 May. We also fully support the EU statement of 28 May calling for the release of all those imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their views.
	We were pleased to see that on 5 June 2014 the Chinese authorities released a number of those who had been arrested after attending an event to commemorate the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in the development of governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mark Simmonds: Decades of conflict and a lack of accountability and transparency have left the country unstable, lacking infrastructure and social services, and falling well short of its economic potential.
	Weak governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also presents many challenges. But after the surrender of the armed group M23 late last year, and recent indications that elements of the FDLR armed group also intend to surrender, 2014 provides an opportunity for greater stability in the Great Lakes.
	During my visit to DRC in February, I witnessed the country’s potential. I emphasised to the DRC Government including President Kabila the importance of making progress on key areas, including elections; economic reform; the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants; and the reform of the security sector. We discussed how the UK might best support the development and stability of the region through our support for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, as well as our significant development programme.
	DFID expect to spend £72.6 million on governance and security in DRC between 2011 to 2015. This support has meant that in 2011, 31 million people registered to vote—of which 52% were women. By 2015, 1,025 communities will be empowered to monitor local government performance, 10 million citizens will be trained on elections, rights and responsibilities and over 100 civil society organisations will be empowered to monitor Government performance and influence Government.

Egypt

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the new Egyptian President about freedom of religion.

William Hague: The Government has been clear throughout recent events in Egypt, that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society. I have not yet met President el-Sisi, but will look to work with him and the Egyptian Government to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution, which includes protections for freedom of religious belief.
	The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, my right hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Hugh Robertson), discussed the situation faced by Coptic Christians and implications of the new constitution in a meeting with Bishop Yulios during his visit to Cairo in December.

Egypt

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The 26-28 May presidential election in Egypt was an important moment for the millions of Egyptians who expressed their opinion through the ballot box. I made a statement on 3 June in which I congratulated President el-Sisi on his election and urged Egypt’s leaders to ensure that Egypt’s transition leads towards accountable and democratic governance, underpinned by strong and accountable institutions. We look forward to working with President el-Sisi and his government to strengthen the broad and productive relationship between both our peoples.
	We continue to believe that the best way for Egyptians to achieve the goals of the 25 January revolution of 2011 is through an inclusive political process in which all groups can participate. The UK stands ready to support the Egyptian people in achieving this.

Iran

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government expects the International Atomic Energy Agency's inquiry into the military dimension of the Iranian nuclear programme to be complete before the deadline for agreeing a comprehensive nuclear deal set by the P5+1.

William Hague: It is unlikely that the complex questions surrounding the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme (PMD) will be resolved by 20 July. We call on Iran to grant immediately access to all sites, equipment, persons and documents requested by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran must demonstrate real progress on PMD in order to reassure the international community that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Jerusalem

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK position is on the future status of Jerusalem.

Hugh Robertson: The Government considers that Jerusalem has the status of a corpus separatum as defined by the 1947 UN Partition Plan. Although we accept de facto Israeli control of West Jerusalem we do not recognise Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem, which we consider to be occupied territory. Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
	We believe that a solution to Jerusalem must be sought as part of a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the solution must allow for all those people for whom Jerusalem means so much to access and enjoy it.

Libya

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the progress made by the Libyan Government on drafting a new constitution.

William Hague: The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) in Libya is responsible for drafting the new constitution. The elections for the CDA took place on 20 February and Ali Tarhouni was subsequently elected as Chair of the body. Discussions are ongoing to fill outstanding slots for minority groups. I welcome the recent G7 communiqué which underscored the commitment of the international community to support the work of the CDA. The UK attends the UN Elections and Constitution co-ordination meetings in Libya which monitors the work of the CDA.
	While there is still much work to do in a challenging timescale and testing security environment, the CDA recently produced an initial programme of what they plan to include in the constitution including the main references and guiding principles. I welcome the efforts the CDA are making in developing a transparent and inclusive process which will benefit all peoples of Libya.

Libya

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he sees for the EU in helping to facilitate Libyan parliamentary elections in July 2014.

William Hague: The UK is firmly committed to supporting the Libyan people and Government, and I welcome the elections for the Libyan House of Representatives due on 25 June. I hope it will be conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable way which is respected by all parties. I believe that the EU, along with our international partners, can play a crucial role in supporting these elections. An EU Election Experts’ Mission monitored the Constitutional Assembly elections in February, and set out recommendations for improvements which were shared with the Libyan authorities in a report. We believe this, along with other EU programmes related to democratic transition in Libya, has laid a solid foundation to facilitate the June elections.

Middle East

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the approach of the new Palestinian government to the peace process with Israel.

Hugh Robertson: President Abbas was clear that new interim technocratic Government will uphold a commitment to the principle of non-violence, a negotiated two state solution, and an acceptance of all previous agreements and obligations, including Israel’s legitimate right to exist. Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a Government committed to these principles is a necessary condition for resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. We now look to the new Government to demonstrate these commitments through its actions as well as its words.

Morocco

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports he has received of changes in the number of human rights violations committed by the Moroccan Security Forces against Saharawi citizens since the passing of (a) resolution 2099 and (b) resolution 2152;
	(2)  how the number of allegations of human rights violations perpetrated by the Moroccan Security Forces against Saharawi citizens has been monitored (a) since resolution 2099 was passed on 25 April 2013 and (b) since resolution 2152 was passed on 25 April 2014.

Hugh Robertson: Over the last year, we have received reports of human rights violations in Western Sahara from a number of sources including the Moroccan National Human Rights Council, UN special rapporteurs, international human rights organisations and civil society groups. However, none of these have released information on the number of violations.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations on supporting the broadcasting of accessible information in to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea in paragraph 1224 of the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in that country.

Hugo Swire: We have taken note of the UN Commission of Inquiry recommendation that civil society be supported to broadcast accessible information. We have helped to facilitate contact between BBC Worldwide and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) broadcasting authorities, to explore the possibility of the BBC supplying a range of programmes to the DPRK.
	Through our embassy in Pyongyang, the UK is also one of the few countries which is able to engage directly with the DPRK. This complements the efforts of others who are already broadcasting into North Korea. The recent report of the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights in North Korea recognised the importance of both approaches.

North Korea

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the UN on the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Hugo Swire: In October 2013, I met members of the Commission of Inquiry team on a visit we organised for them to the UK. I travelled to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March to urge action following their report, and I was pleased with the strong resolution which passed later that month.
	In April the UK raised the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) human rights concerns during closed consultations between the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Security Council. The same month the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York met with members of the Commission of Inquiry and expressed our strong support for the work of the Commission. The UK also took part in a public 'Arria' briefing with other Security Council members to consider DPRK human rights. In May, we raised the need for continued focus on the situation during a UN Security Council Sanctions Committee meeting. I will travel to the UN in Geneva this week in order to meet the DPRK Special Rapporteur, Marzuki Darusman, and to set out the UK's concerns to the Council. The meeting of the UN General Assembly in September presents a further opportunity to hold discussions.

Palestinians

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the practice of Palestinian youths being tried by military courts and sentenced to prison for minor offences.

Hugh Robertson: The Government is concerned over the dual court system that is employed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, under which all Palestinians, except those living in East Jerusalem, are subject to trial in military courts irrespective of the charges against them while Israeli youths are tried in civil courts. We also have serious concerns about the treatment of Palestinian children under the Israeli military court system, which we raise regularly with the Israeli authorities. More details can be found at:
	http://www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/

South Sudan

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help ensure that the government of Sudan facilitates the full deployment of UNMISS troops and equipment.

Mark Simmonds: The Governments of both Sudan and South Sudan have now granted the necessary clearances for the transfer of a Rwandan battalion from the UN-Africa Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to UNMISS. We understand that that battalion has now arrived in South Sudan.
	We have made clear to the Governments of both Sudan and South Sudan that any actions that impede UNMISS in the delivery of its mandate are unacceptable.

South Sudan

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that UNMISS protects civilians by (a) regular patrols and consultation with communities and (b) involvement of civilians experts in UNMISS programmes.

Mark Simmonds: As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK is a leading advocate of ensuring that protection of civilians from violence is prioritised in the mandates of UN Missions working in conflict-affected countries. UN Security Council Resolution 2155 of 27 May 2014, which renewed UNMISS’s mandate (and which the UK fully supported) demonstrates that, including through requiring UNMISS troops to conduct regular patrols to safeguard the security of communities within high risk areas. It also provides for civilian expertise to support and complement the work of the military troops and formed police units in monitoring and investigating human rights abuses.

Sri Lanka

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 377W, on Sri Lanka, what assessment he has made of the suitability of President Rajapaksa to serve as Chairperson in Office of the Commonwealth.

William Hague: The position of Chair in Office, which is occupied by the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for two years after the event, was formally created in 2009. No formal guidance exists on the role. The decision for Sri Lanka to host CHOGM, and become Chair in Office thereafter, was taken at CHOGM in 2009. There has been no consensus among member states to revisit this decision.

Sudan

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the president of Sudan regarding the death sentence given to Meriam Yehya Ibrahim.

Mark Simmonds: The President of Sudan is indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and has refused to cooperate. In common with other EU countries, we have a policy of having no contact with fugitives from the ICC unless it is essential. However, we have raised Meriam's conviction in the strongest terms with Sudanese Ministers, including by summoning the Chargé d’Affaires to the Foreign Office on 19 May2014, at the request of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). Immediately following her conviction, I released a statement describing her conviction as barbaric and calling upon the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), also raised this issue with the Foreign Minister of Sudan on 20 May 2014.

Sudan

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the case of Meriam Ibrahim and the persecution of Christians in that country.

William Hague: I am appalled at the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, and her continued imprisonment. At my request, the chargé d’affaires of the Sudanese embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign Office on 19 May. The Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) also raised our deep concerns with the Sudanese Foreign Minister when she met him on 20 May. Our embassy in Khartoum continues to press the Sudanese authorities for Meriam Ibrahim’s release, and is in close contact with her legal team.
	Along with our international partners, we regularly raise the persecution of Christians and other minorities with the Sudanese Government. We have called on it to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution.

Syria

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent presidential elections in Syria on the prospects for future political reconciliation between the Government and Opposition forces.

William Hague: The recent Syrian presidential elections were a parody of democracy designed to sustain the Assad dictatorship, held in the midst of a civil war and extreme regime violence with millions displaced from their homes, unable to vote. They did not meet even the most basic requirements for free and fair elections.
	We judge that holding these elections was damaging to the political process. This is a view shared by the UN who warned that holding elections
	“will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for political solution that the country so urgently needs.”
	We will continue to support the moderate opposition who have a pluralistic, democratic vision of a future Syria and to create conditions for a future political settlement. A negotiated political transition in Syria, following the principles set out in the Geneva communiqué, is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis.

Syria

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with other countries in the (a) EU and (b) UN about a potential candidate to replace the outgoing UN Special Envoy to Syria.

William Hague: Since Mr Brahimi stepped down we have had discussions with the UN and with a number of EU partners about arrangements for a successor. The appointment is still under consideration by the UN secretary-general.

Syria

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on plans to carry out a fact finding mission in Syria to establish the source of the Kafr Zita chemical weapons attack on 11 April 2014.

Hugh Robertson: The UK was among the first to express concern at allegations that chemical weapons had again been used in Syria, and called for them to be investigated.
	n 29 April the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General announced he was establishing a Fact Finding Mission to determine the truth behind recent allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria. The UK has continued to stress the importance of this mission determining the full facts.
	We are aware of at least nine attacks in April in which the use of chemical weapons has been alleged. We consider it likely that chemical weapons have been used on at least some of these occasions. There are a number of pieces of information that suggest that only regime could have been responsible for these attacks, including the use of helicopters to deliver bombs to their targets and the fact that the attacks took place in opposition controlled areas. We have shared the information we hold with the OPCW.
	We condemn the attack on the convoy carrying inspectors to Kafr Zita and urge all parties to the conflict to ensure that inspectors are given secure and unrestricted access to all relevant sites to enable the full facts to be established.

Syria

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to investigate what the source of the chemical weapons attack in Kafr Zita on 11 April 2014 was.

Hugh Robertson: The UK was among the first to express concern at allegations that chemical weapons had again been used in Syria, and called for them to be investigated.
	On 29 April the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General announced he was establishing a fact finding mission to determine the truth behind recent allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria. The UK has continued to stress the importance of this mission determining the full facts.
	We are aware of at least nine attacks in April in which the use of chemical weapons has been alleged. We consider it likely that chemical weapons have been used on at least some of these occasions. There are a number of pieces of information that suggest that only the regime could have been responsible for these attacks, including the use of helicopters to deliver bombs to their targets and the fact that the attacks took place in opposition controlled areas. We have shared the information we hold with the OPCW.
	We condemn the attack on the convoy carrying inspectors to Kafr Zita and urge all parties to the conflict to ensure that inspectors are given secure and unrestricted access to all relevant sites to enable the full facts to be established.

Ukraine

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on progress on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

William Hague: The March European Council held an in depth discussion on the situation in Ukraine, and the political chapters of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement were signed on 21 March. At the March European Council the EU and member states also restated their commitment to signing the remainder of the Association Agreement with Ukraine.
	The 14 April and 15 May Foreign Affairs Committees agreed Conclusions which reiterated the EU's commitment to sign the remaining provisions of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as possible after the presidential elections which took place on 25 May.

Venezuela

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the United Nations the issue of violations of (a) human rights, (b) civil rights and (c) property rights in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: I remain deeply concerned about the situation in Venezuela. I am saddened by the deaths that have occurred since protests started in February, and condemn all acts of violence. I am concerned by reports of excessive use of force in protests, and of armed groups using violence, and I call on all sides to show restraint. I am also aware that legal action and investigations are under way. It is critical that due process is followed.
	I support the efforts by Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Vatican to support and advise on dialogue between the parties. I have spoken to colleagues in the region, including during my recent visit to South America, to urge their governments to promote dialogue. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has already called on all actors to engage in a dialogue aimed at finding common ground. The UK has no current plans to raise the situation further at the United Nations.
	I will continue to monitor the situation carefully.

Council Tax

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to apply the referendum provisions regarding council tax rises to parish and town councils; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 5 February 2014, Official Report, columns 19-21WS, in particular, the section on town and parish councils which states:
	“We have not determined principles for local precepting authorities in 2014-15, but we are putting on notice that we are prepared if necessary to apply the referendum thresholds to larger town and parish councils from 2015-16 onwards to provide protection for local taxpayers and extend the principle of direct democracy.”

Fire Services: Pensions

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters (a) who have achieved 20 years of service and are within 10 years of normal retirement age and (b) who have achieved 20 years of service.

Brandon Lewis: No assessment has been made of the annual cost of maintaining existing pension provisions for firefighters who have achieved 20 years of service. However, the Government Actuary's Department have previously approximated that, ignoring the effects of any tapered protection, to alter the transitional protections to only apply to firefighters who, as at 1 April 2012, were aged at least 40 and had 20 or more years pensionable service would increase the capital cost of the 1992 scheme protections by around £50 million.
	Any firefighter who is within 10 years of their current normal pension age, as at 1 April 2012, will remain in their existing pension scheme irrespective of length of service. A greater proportion of firefighters are protected than for any other large public service work force.

Floods

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the Government's Business Rates Relief Fund for flooded businesses has been (a) allocated to local authorities and (b) received by businesses to date.

Brandon Lewis: As at 2 June 2014, 979 businesses were in receipt of a business rates relief from their local authority as a result of the impact of flooding. There are no set or advance allocations to councils. The fund works by councils retrospectively claiming back the cost of the business rate relief (in the same way, for example, as the Bellwin Scheme has always worked). 66 local authorities recently submitted claims for reimbursement; the deadline for applications was 26 May. Subject to data checking, we expect reimbursement payments in the region of £4 million to be made shortly.
	Further information on the available flood support schemes is available on the gov.uk website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-support-package-for-homeowners-and-businesses

Urban Areas

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the public purse was provided to support high streets (a) in total and (b) by local authority area in each of the last 10 years.

Brandon Lewis: Since 2010 we have spent or committed £18.53 million funding from the public purse to support high streets. This support has included: direct funding, support and advice for 23 Portas Pilots and 333 Town Team Partners; the High Streets Innovation Fund, supporting 100 towns with the highest empty property rates and those affected by the riots; the High Street Renewal Awards; the Business Improvement Districts Loan Fund and support for the Love Your Local Market campaign.
	In addition, the Chancellor announced a £1 billion Business Rates support package in the autumn statement, which includes a 2% in Retail Price Index increase in business rates for 2014-15, a discount of £1,000 for smaller retail premises, which will benefit around 300,000 shops, pubs and restaurants, and a 50% discount for 18 months to new occupants of vacant shops, bringing them back into use.
	The doubling of small business rate relief has been extended for another year. This measure was worth £900 million to small businesses in 2012-13, trebled from 2010.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown of funding by local authority area for each of the last 10 years due to disproportionate cost.

UK Trade and Investment

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of the success of UK Trade & Investment in relation to Welsh exports; and if he will make a statement.

David Jones: UK Trade and Investment provides invaluable support for Welsh businesses looking to gain access to international markets. It is encouraging that the recent trends show Welsh exports outperforming the other nations and regions in the UK, with the value of Welsh exports increasing by 9.9% over the past year compared to 0.5% across the UK as a whole.

Sentencing: Appeals

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of unduly lenient sentences were (a) referred to his Department, (b) taken up by him and (c) upheld in court since 2010 where the offender whose sentence was the subject of the appeal could have been released prior to the conclusion of the case if there had been a delay in the commencement of proceedings by (i) 14 days, (ii) 28 days, (iii) 42 days and (iv) 62 days; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Offenders whose sentences were referred to the AGO Number of offenders whose sentences were referred by the Law Officers to the Court of Appeal Cases withdrawn Sentencesincreased 
			 2010 342 90 13 60 
			 2011 377 121 4 94 
			 2012 435 88 6 62 
			 2013 498 79 9 61 
			 20141 247 44 2 216 
			 1 Up to 11 June 2014. 2 Out of a total of 21 sentences considered by the Court of Appeal up to 11 June 2014. 
		
	
	My office does not hold information on the release date of offenders that have been referred to the Court of Appeal.

Sentencing: Appeals

Philip Davies: To ask the Attorney-General how many times an appeal made against an unduly lenient sentence in the last five years has led to someone being returned to prison who had already been released.

Oliver Heald: This information is not collated centrally and obtaining it would require my office to manually consider each file over the last five years which would involve a disproportionate cost.

Stalking

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Attorney-General 
	(1)  how many people have been (a) charged and (b) prosecuted under sections 2A and 4A of the Protection from Harrassment Act 1997;
	(2)  how many people have been charged under (a) section 2A and (b) section 4A of the Protection from Harrassment Act 1997 in each police force in England and Wales since those sections came into force.

Oliver Heald: The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 came into effect on 25 November 2012 and introduced two new offences of stalking into the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 under S2A and S4A. A table showing the number of offences charged and prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) under sections 2A and 4A that reached a first hearing in a magistrates court since these sections came into force has been deposited in the Library of the House. The data provided only shows the number of offences, not the number of people charged.

Stalking

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Attorney General 
	(1)  in respect of how many alleged offences under section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 proceedings are active in magistrates courts in England and Wales;
	(2)  in respect of how many alleged offences under section (a) 2A and (b) 4A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 proceedings are active in magistrates and crown courts in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of the number of particular offences that are currently active in either magistrates or crown courts in England and Wales.
	The CPS case management system does however record the number of finalised cases which reached a first hearing in the magistrates court as follows:
	
		
			   2012-13 2013-14 
			 Protection from Harassment Act 1997 { 4A(1)(a)(b)(i) and (5) } Stalking involving fear of violence 9 65 
			 Protection from Harassment Act 1997 { 4A(1)(a)(b)(ii) and (5) } Stalking involving serious alarm / distress 10 149 
			 Protection from Harassment Act 1997 { 2A(1) and (4) } Stalking 72 529 
		
	
	There is no indication of final outcome or if the offence charged was the offence at finalisation.

Civil Partnerships

Bill Esterson: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities what plans she has to enable civil partnerships to be amended to marriage without recourse to a separate legal process.

Helen Grant: Section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 provides that civil partners may convert their civil partnership into marriage under regulations to be made by the Secretary of State, and that the resulting marriage will be treated as having subsisted since the date the civil partnership was formed. Civil partnerships and marriage are separate legal institutions so a process is required for conversion. We are working hard to ensure that couples wanting to convert their civil partnerships into marriages are able to do so as soon as possible. We aim to do this before the end of 2014.
	These aspects of implementing the Act take longer because they involve developing and implementing completely new procedures and processes. This contrasts with the work to make new marriages for same-sex couples possible, where we were able to build on existing processes so implementation was more straightforward.

A120

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will add to the National Infrastructure Plan a scheme to upgrade and improve the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

Danny Alexander: This Government recognises the importance of transport infrastructure to support the economy and, as set out in the National Infrastructure Plan 2013, has already announced over £28 billion of funding for enhancements and maintenance of national and local roads.
	The specific schemes identified in the National Infrastructure Plan 2013 have the ability to complete or begin their construction in the next Parliament. Proposals for improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey are not yet sufficiently developed to be included in the Highways Agency pipeline of future projects, and are therefore not currently included in the National Infrastructure Plan.
	However, the A120 is being looked at by the Highways Agency as part of its work on the East of England Route Strategy, which will look to determine the nature, need and timing of future investment that might be required. I would encourage you to engage with the Highways Agency's route strategy process.

Income Tax: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire paid the top rate of income tax in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: Statistics on the number of additional rate income tax payers liable to pay by Government office regions, including the east midlands, are published in HMRC’s income tax statistics, table 2.2:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/306856/Table_2.2.pdf
	County and constituency level information on additional rate tax payers is not published.

Mapeley

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the profitability and financial position of Mapeley Steps Contractor Limited in its role of managing the HM Revenue and Customs' estate.

David Gauke: HMRC monitors the financial position of its key suppliers under agreed transparency arrangements. HMRC is unable to provide confidential financial information relating to its suppliers.

Private Finance Initiative

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of introducing tax-rate floors to contracts involving Private Finance Initiative arrangements.

Danny Alexander: In December 2012, the Government launched Private Finance 2 (PF2). PF2 introduces significant reforms to the private finance initiative (PFI) and gives a new approach to the delivery of public infrastructure. It is based on the outcomes of a wide call for evidence held across both the public and private sectors.
	The Government seeks to ensure that the UK tax system is competitive for all companies and that the UK is an attractive place to do business, while retaining proportionate anti-avoidance protection.
	A special purpose vehicle set up for the purposes of delivering a PFI project is no different from any other corporate entity and is therefore required to pay corporation tax in accordance with government rules.

Revenue and Customs

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to promote discussions between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Network Rail on the construction of new parking facilities for Dover Priory Railway Station on land currently owned by HMRC.

David Gauke: Previous replies have explained that HMRC does not own the Priory Court Site but occupies it as part of the STEPS PFI agreement with Mapeley. However, HMRC have taken part in discussions between Mapeley and Network Rail at the Priory Court Dover site on proposals for the construction of a multi storey car park on land adjacent to Priory Court not owned by either Mapeley or HMRC. Further discussions of future proposals have been between Mapeley as the freehold owner of Priory Court and Network Rail.

Revenue and Customs

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to respond to Mapeley Estates, agents for the Custom House site, on the development of the new parking facilities at Dover Priory Railway Station.

David Gauke: HMRC have taken part in discussions between Mapeley and Network Rail at the Priory Court Dover site on proposals for the construction of a multi storey car park on land adjacent to Priory Court not owned by either Mapeley or HMRC. Further discussions of future proposals have been between Mapeley as the freehold owner of Priory Court and Network Rail. HMRC have no outstanding inquiries from Mapeley.

Self-employed

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were registered with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013; and how many of them reported net income (i) of zero and (ii) below the threshold for National Insurance in each year.

David Gauke: Estimates of the numbers of individuals with self employment sources are published in HMRC’s National Statistics table 3.10 which is available at the following internet address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-of-individuals-with-self-employment-sources-2010-to-2011
	The numbers of individuals making zero profits and at other income levels is also shown in these tables.
	Tables for 2009-10 and earlier years are available from the National Archives internet site at the following address:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121102223513/http:/hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm
	Overall, these show a long term trend of growth in the numbers of self-employed people.
	The Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) for 2012-13 will be available later in the year.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what resources will be available for targeted enforcement of the national minimum wage amongst employers in the maritime sector in the next two financial years;
	(2)  if he will outline the content of the service level agreement between his Department and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on the work of the HMRC national minimum wage enforcement team; what resources have been allocated to the enforcement team for work in the maritime sector; and what period the agreement covers.

David Gauke: The Government takes the enforcement of the national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the pay and work rights helpline (0800 917 2368) including complaints concerning those in the maritime sector. In addition, HMRC conduct targeted compliance activity based on data received from various sources and robust risk assessment processes, to identify the sectors and employers across the United Kingdom, who are considered more likely to be failing to pay NMW.
	The service level agreement between Departments is currently under review. Resources have been agreed for 2014-15 between HMRC and BIS to cover the wide range of enforcement services that HMRC provide. The budget for enforcement activity is considered annually. The agreement does not currently cover the provision of enforcement services by reference to particular sectors.

Tax Avoidance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory definition of a personal service company to enable HM Revenue and Customs to make a better informed assessment of those using such devices to artificially reduce income tax.

David Gauke: There are currently no plans to create a statutory definition of a personal service company. Working through a personal service company does not indicate that a person is artificially reducing their tax.
	The Government keeps all areas of the tax system under review.

Tourism: Taxation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken through taxation to encourage the tourism industry in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: This Government is committed to helping UK businesses, including those in the tourism industry grow and create jobs.
	In relation to taxation, we are taking action to reduce the employer NICs burden on small businesses and have created the new employment allowance which is simple to administer, permanent and available to all business and charities in the UK, this is reducing their employer NICs bill by up to £2,000 each year. As a result, 450,000 employers will pay no NICs at all in 2014-15.
	At this year’s budget, the Government again took action to support the pub industry, reducing a pint by a penny for the second year in a row. Following last year’s beer duty cut, the British Beer and Pub Association reported that 89% of their members reduced or froze their prices, 76% of their members increased investment, and 51% of their members employed more staff. Also at this year’s budget we have taken action to stop the previous Government’s alcohol duty escalator and freeze the duty on ordinary cider and on spirits, as well as limiting the increases on wine duty to inflation.
	The Government is also taking targeted action where appropriate. For example, between 2011 and 2015 the Government is investing £50 million (with a further £50 million match-funded by the private sector) into a tactical campaign via VisitBritain, so it can work with the industry to market what the UK has to offer.

Working Families Tax Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many self-employed people claimed working families tax credit in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people who were classified as self-employed and who claimed Working Families Tax Credits (WFTC) in 2010 still claimed WFTC in 2013.

Nicky Morgan: Working family tax credit was abolished in 2003 and replaced by child tax credits (CTC) and working tax credits (WTC).

Aviation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics his Department collects on the travel-to-work patterns of staff of airports and airlines; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The Department holds data from the ONS Labour Force Survey on the travel time from home to work, and the method of transport used to travel, for people employed in the passenger and freight air transport industries, as well as those employed in service activities incidental to air transport. This data is published annually in Transport Statistics Great Britain, in tables TSGB0108–TSGB0112, available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-statistics-great-britain-2013
	The survey does not however separate out those staff working specifically in airports and airlines.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the public consultation will begin on the home owner payment for properties in rural areas 120 to 300 metres from High Speed 2.

Robert Goodwill: As set out in the Decision Document: Property Compensation Consultation 2013 for the London-West Midlands HS2 route, the Government will consult on the Homeowner Payment over the summer. We will communicate the start date as soon as it is decided.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all personnel employed by HS2 Ltd by grade, their salary scale and their immediate previous employer.

Robert Goodwill: Information relating to personnel employed by HS2 Ltd, their grades and salary scales is shown in the following table. We are withholding information relating to previous employers as this is personal information and releasing it would contravene the first principle of the Data Protection Act 1998. Grade 23 and above have no range and individuals are effectively employed on a “spot-rate”. The individuals and their salaries are however already published in HS2 Ltd accounts.
	
		
			   Pay ranges 
			 Grade Number of employees Min Median Max 
			 n/a 2 Chief executive   
			 24 1 Director   
			 23 1 Director   
			 21 6 79,484 99,356 119,226 
			 20 3 65,378 76,916 92,299 
			 19 23 59,867 65,854 77,826 
			 18 11 52,696 57,966 68,506 
			 17 44 45,915 50,506 59,689 
			 16 46 40,757 44,832 50,956 
			 15 57 35,704 38,587 44,629 
			 14 23 33,080 36,388 39,696 
			 13 53 29,462 32,408 35,354 
			 12 12 26,056 28,662 31,267 
			 11 52 24,001 26,412 28,813 
			 10 25 21,476 23,623 25,771 
			 Other 1 Apprentice   
			  360

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the potential effect on gateline staffing levels at (a) Birmingham New Street, (b) Coventry and (c) all stations on the London Midland line of London Midland’s proposals to reduce the number of revenue protection staff.

Stephen Hammond: Staffing levels and to which role staff are allocated are matters for the train operator, as long as they continue to deliver the services that meet the requirements of the franchise agreement.

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the potential effect on levels of passenger ticket revenue of London Midland’s proposal to reduce the number of revenue protection staff.

Stephen Hammond: London Midland is not currently in receipt of revenue support. Unless revenue was to fall to such an extent that they were to be eligible for such payments, the revenue during this franchise term is entirely its risk. London Midland has assured us that their staff restructuring plans will not prevent them fulfilling their obligations in meeting the requirements of the franchise agreement. Therefore, unless revenue was to fall to the extent that London Midland were eligible for revenue support payments, no further assessment is planned.

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the potential effects on (a) industrial relations, (b) rail passenger services and (c) rail franchising policy of London Midland’s staffing proposals.

Stephen Hammond: Staffing levels are a matter for the train operator, as long as they continue to deliver services that meet the requirements of the franchise agreement.

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with representatives from Govia on its plan to reduce the number of revenue protection staff working on the London Midland line; what reasons he has been given by Govia for those reductions.

Stephen Hammond: Govia have made us aware of their staffing restructuring plans and the reasoning behind them. They have also provided assurances that these plans will not prevent them from fulfilling their obligations in meeting the requirements of the Franchise Agreement.

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to monitor London Midland's (a) budgeting and (b) contractual relationship with Siemens for maintenance work on the Desiro EMU fleet.

Stephen Hammond: London Midland provide their management accounts to the Department every period. In addition, we receive an annual Business Plan and quarterly forecasts of future revenues and costs for the following 12 months. These are reviewed by qualified management accountants within the Department and challenged with the London Midland senior management team at meetings with a view to assessing the ongoing viability of the TOC.
	Responsibility for monitoring the maintainer rests with the TOC who are responsible for delivering a required performance and availability benchmark through their Franchise Agreement.

London Midland

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the value of London Midland's rolling stock contract with Angel Trains after the direct award of the franchise for the period September 2015 to June 2017.

Stephen Hammond: Negotiations for the direct award of the West Midlands franchise are yet to commence and the Department has not made any estimate on the value of London Midland’s contract with Angel Trains. It should be noted that the value of rolling stock contracts are a commercial matter between the operator and the rolling stock owner.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission an assessment of the Australian Compulsory Third Party Insurance system, through which premiums are paid as part of vehicle registration for its potential applicability in the UK.

Robert Goodwill: No. It is sometimes suggested that a system of centrally funded third party insurance could be introduced in this country. However, insurers have said that a change to such a system would lead to a general increase in premiums, especially for the more careful driver. This is because under such a system a vehicle would have to be insured for all possible drivers, including those considered to be in high risk categories.

Railways: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what fuding from the public purse was provided to support (a) infrastructure on each rail route and (b) each rail franchise in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold the information at rail route level regarding funding from the public purse provided to support infrastructure. This is a matter for Network Rail and my hon. Friend may wish to contact Network Rail’s Chief Executive at the following address for information relating to her request:
	Mark Carne
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London
	N1 9AG
	The Office of Rail Regulation publishes statistics showing the subsidy paid to or premia received from each train operator since 2008-09 at:
	http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/html/html/6d363642-c3a9-4a29-9477-542810798fa7
	The figures for 2006-07 to 2007-08 are published by year at:
	http://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/archived-data/orr-archived-national-rail-trends-publications
	Figures for 2005-06 and earlier years were produced on a different basis to those from 2006-07 onwards, so are not directly comparable.

Roads: Expenditure

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public funds were spent on infrastructure improvement works on each road in the strategic road network in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Goodwill: Public expenditure figures for each road on the strategic road network are not available. The Highways Agency publish annual accounts which are laid before Parliament which are available from the Library of the House and from the Agency’s website at:
	http://www.highways.gov.uk/about-us/corporate-documents/strategic-corporate-documents/annual-report-2012-2013/
	Over the last 10 years, total expenditure on the maintenance, management and enhancement of the strategic road network in each year was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2004-05 1,598 
			 2005-06 1,927 
			 2006-07 2,330 
			 2007-08 2,330 
			 2008-09 2,416 
			 2009-10 3,003 
			 2010-11 2,597 
			 2011-12 2,349 
			 2012-13 1,897 
			 2013-14 2,284 
		
	
	Table showing Highways Agency total operational DEL (departmental expenditure limits) excluding accounting items such as depreciation.

Roads: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has provided to each local authority for highways in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Goodwill: I have placed a table in the Libraries of the House which sets out how much each local highway authority has been allocated for highways in the last 10 years.
	This table includes funding we have provided through a number of funding streams including Highways Maintenance Integrated Transport Block, Local Major Projects, Local Pinch Point Fund and Community Infrastructure Fund projects.
	Local authorities are also able to use revenue funding, allocated by the Department for Communities and Local Government through the Revenue Support Grant for maintaining their local highways. Neither revenue nor capital highways maintenance block funding is ring-fenced and it is for local highway authorities to decide upon their spending priorities across the whole range of services that they provide.
	The Department is also funding local highways maintenance projects in Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sheffield, Isle of Wight and the London borough of Hounslow through the private finance initiative.

Transport: Expenditure

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to ensure central government funding for local authority transport projects is properly spent by those authorities.

Robert Goodwill: The Department has set out how it assures itself that the money gives to local transport authorities is spent properly in its Accounting Officer System Statement. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/50070/dft-accountability-system-statement.pdf

School Exclusions: Children with Autism

Andrew McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education What recent representations he has received on the number of children with autism informally excluded from school.

Edward Timpson: The Secretary of State has received several recent parliamentary questions about the informal exclusion of children with autism. Officials from the department have also met with Ambitious about Autism in March 2014, to discuss its concerns about this issue, raised in the report, Ruled Out.
	The government’s view remains clear. No child should be unlawfully excluded. Ofsted and the department would take seriously evidence that a school had acted unlawfully in excluding a pupil. In addition, most children on the autism spectrum would be considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010. Where disabled children are discriminated against through unlawful exclusion their parents can make a claim to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). The Tribunal has wide ranging powers, including the power to require the reinstatement of a pupil.
	Awareness of autism and appropriate skills are essential to meeting the needs of autistic children. The reforms we are introducing through the Children and Families Act will provide for earlier and better assessment of children and young people’s needs. We’re also investing more than £3 million of funding over two years to raise awareness of autism and help schools and colleges deliver the support these children and young people need. This includes £1.5 million for the Autism Education Trust to provide tiered training to early years, school and further education college staff, as well as £440,000 to the National Autistic Society, part of which is being used to provide advice to professionals and parents on exclusion.

Design: Curriculum

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the status and importance of design and technology at Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and post-16; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: Design and Technology (D&T) is an important subject that can inspire young people to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing. Ofsted’s 2011 report, “Meeting technological challenges” found:
	“Most pupils in the primary and secondary schools visited enjoyed designing and making products and gained much satisfaction in acquiring technical skills and in seeing their ideas take shape.”
	During the review of the national curriculum, the Government consulted industry representatives, such as Dyson and Royal Academy of Engineering, teachers, subject associations and D&T specialists to ensure the new D&T curriculum is relevant to the modern world. We have strengthened the technological aspects of the subject by including new and emerging technologies, placed greater emphasis on links with STEM subjects to provide a context for their practical application and we are also reforming D&T GCSE and A-levels to include more rigorous content and build on the changes made to the curriculum. The new qualifications will be more ambitious, with greater stretch for the most able, and prepare young people better for the demands of employment and further study.

Design: Teachers

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what continued professional development assistance is provided to design and technology teachers.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government is committed to raising the quality of teaching in all subjects, including design and technology (D&T). Head teachers and teachers are best placed to make decisions about what professional development they require in order to meet the needs of their pupils and school. A network of teaching schools has been established to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in the training and development of teachers and create more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. The Teachers’ Standards set a clear benchmark for the level of practice expected of all teachers, and provide a valuable tool to help head teachers and teachers identify and address development needs through regular appraisal.
	The D&T expert subject group, set up to provide support to teachers implementing the new D&T curriculum, comprises of leading professionals in D&T who work to clarify the key areas on which teachers most need further support, identifying the topics that can present the greatest challenge when discussing with pupils. The group liaises with relevant specialists and providers to develop and produce new resources where necessary. DATA, in partnership with others, have developed a range of resources including an annotated programme of study, providing advice and explanatory notes on implementation.

Faith Schools

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK attended faith schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Laws: Education is a devolved matter and data on pupils held by the Department for Education refers to schools in England only. Information on pupils attending state-funded schools in England is collected via the school census. Information on pupils attending independent schools is collected via the school level annual school census. The latest data is for January 2014.
	In January 2014, the proportion of pupils that attended schools with a religious character declared on Edubase was (a) 50% in Ribble Valley constituency, (b) 45% in Lancashire and (c) 26% in England.

Free School Meals: North East

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much capacity funding for universal infant free school meals has been (a) requested by and (b) disbursed to schools in (i) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (ii) the Sunderland local authority area and (iii) the North East region.

David Laws: On 18 December 2013, the Government announced capital allocations for universal infant free school meals for the 2014-15 financial year. This included allocations of (a) £562,850 to Sunderland city council and (b) £6.1 million to all local authorities in the north east region. We do not allocate funding at a constituency level.
	In addition, academies have received capital funding through the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund. This includes allocations of (a) £162,380 to academies within the Sunderland local authority area and (b) £311,608 to academies within the north east region. Across the country, £2.5 million has also been made available to multi-academy trusts.
	Of the capital funding that has been allocated to Sunderland, the authority has confirmed to the Department that 75% or more has been disbursed to specific projects to support universal infant free school meals. We do not hold information on the precise amount disbursed, and nor do we hold this data at a regional level.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2014 Official Report, column 74W, on Members: Correspondence, when he expects to send a substantive reply to the letter of 30 April 2014 from the hon. Member for Walsall North about admissions to Walsall Academy which was separate from the letter sent to the Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency; and for what reason that Answer does not mention that there was separate correspondence on the subject.

Edward Timpson: My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, responded to the hon. Member’s other letter of 30 April about admission arrangements at Walsall academy on 16 June. On behalf of the Department I would like to apologise for the delay in answering this letter.
	My reply of 10 June related to the letter with the reference (2014/0036207) quoted in the question.

Schools: Radicalism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the work of local authority-based Prevent co-ordinators in tackling extremism in schools; and how many local authority-based Prevent co-ordinators submitted evaluations or other forms of evidence to his Department in the last year for which information is available;
	(2)  what advice his Department provides to local authority-based Prevent co-ordinators to help identify and tackle extremism in schools; and when this guidance was last updated.

Edward Timpson: Preventing extremism in all schools is a priority for the Government. In 2010 the Department for Education set up the first preventing extremism unit in Whitehall outside the Home Office. Ofsted now trains inspectors to understand and report on extremism. The Department has published a range of guidance to support schools in raising awareness of the risks from extremism.
	Schools can help protect children from extremist and violent views in the same ways that they help to safeguard children from drugs, gang violence or alcohol abuse. Schools' work on Prevent needs to be seen in this context. It is for local authorities to determine how best to support schools in their areas in the light of local circumstances.
	A number of local Prevent projects, funded by Home Office, engage schools and supplementary schools and train teachers in priority areas. The Department for Education and Home Office are working together to secure the best practical outcome from this funding. It is the responsibility of the Home Office to evaluate the projects it funds.

Schools: Radicalism

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to his statement of 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 269, on Birmingham schools, when Ministers of his Department were first made aware of allegations of extremism in schools in Birmingham.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education received the Trojan Horse' letter in December 2013. The Secretary of State has asked the permanent secretary to investigate how the Department dealt with warnings both since the formation of this Government in 2010 and before.
	Since receiving a copy of the Trojan Horse letter, the Department has been working closely with agencies such as Birmingham city council, the police and Ofsted. Based on the Department's evidence-gathering, the Secretary of State commissioned inspections by Ofsted and appointed Peter Clarke as Education Commissioner.

Unemployment: Young People

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made in reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training since May 2010.

Matthew Hancock: Latest quarterly figures published in May show that the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET is 6.7%--down a third since 2010 and the lowest on record.

Developing Countries: Female Genital Mutilation

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to tackle female genital mutilation overseas; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is supporting efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation worldwide by making the largest single donor commitment ever to this issue, with a flagship programme of £35 million over 5 years. We also aim to galvanise unprecedented political commitment for this neglected issue.
	On 22 July, the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), and UNICEF will host Girl Summit 2014, an event to bring together community leaders, grassroots organisations, governments, international organisations and the private sector to build on current efforts and rally a global movement to end FGM and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in a generation, everywhere, forever.

Directors: Pay

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of his policy on binding votes for remuneration committees.

Jennifer Willott: The Government’s reforms to increase the transparency of executive pay include a requirement that quoted companies put their remuneration policy to a binding vote of the company’s shareholders, at minimum, every three years.
	Shareholders also have an annual advisory vote on the annual remuneration report, covering what has been paid. Where this is rejected, the company will be required to re-submit their remuneration policy to a binding vote at the AGM the following year.
	It is too soon to form firm conclusions about the impact of the Government reforms, which only came into force in October last year.
	The Government is monitoring the impact of the reforms and will be taking stock of their impact after the voting season is over.
	The Government is keeping this policy area under review.

European Fighter Aircraft

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether a Minister will be responsible for preparing the Department's response to the Belgian government's request for information regarding the Typhoon as a successor to their F-16 fleet;
	(2)  when he intends next to discuss the possibility of Typhoon sales to Belgium with his counterpart in that country;
	(3)  when (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department last met representatives of BAE to discuss Typhoon exports;
	(4)  how many officials in his Department he expects to be involved in preparing the Department's response to the Belgian government's request for information regarding the Typhoon as a successor to their F-16 fleet;
	(5)  whether he intends to ask the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence for assistance in pursuing export sales of Typhoon to Belgium.

Michael Fallon: The Eurofighter Typhoon programme is carried out in partnership with the Governments of Germany, Italy and Spain. This includes cooperation on exports. The Government of Belgium has expressed an interest in Typhoon as well as other competing aircraft as a potential replacement for their F-16 fleet. UK Trade and Investment have been invited, to participate in preliminary discussions at official level on Typhoon. United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) officials are working with colleagues across Government, in the partner nations and with Eurofighter GmbH to coordinate a response.
	Within UK Government work on Typhoon export campaigns is led by UKTI, but HMG takes a collaborative approach to defence exports and so all campaigns are a cross departmental effort. Information on staffing numbers is not therefore available centrally.
	Ministerial responsibility for UKTI rests with my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment (Lord Livingston of Parkhead). My noble Friend reports to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), as the two responsible Cabinet Ministers.
	Information regarding Ministers’ meetings is published by the Department on the internet:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_type=transparency-data
	The Minister of State for Trade and Investment discussed Typhoon exports during his meeting with BAES on 18 December 2013. The Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has no immediate plans to meet his Belgian counterpart.

Higher Education: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Warrington North constituency (a) applied for and (b) started a degree course in each year since 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information on applicants is shown in Table 1. UCAS have not released any data on applications from individual constituencies for the 2014 application cycle, but the latest figures for total applicants to all UK institutions (published on 30 May) show that they have risen by 4%, compared to the same point in 2013.
	
		
			 Table 1: UCAS applicants to full-time undergraduate courses from Warrington North constituency 
			  Year of entry 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Applicants 810 845 765 680 
			 Source: UCAS. 
		
	
	The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The number of entrants to UK HEIs who were domiciled in Warrington North constituency prior to starting their course is shown in Table 2. HESA figures for 2013/14 will be available in January 2015. There are differences in the coverage of UCAS and HESA: the UCAS figures cover applicants to higher education institutions (HEIs), further education colleges (FECs), and alternative providers (APs) of HE in the UK; the HESA figures cover HEIs only, plus the university of Buckinghamshire. Not all applicants apply via UCAS: some apply directly to institutions. In addition, some applicants who obtain a place via UCAS opt to defer entry until the following year.
	
		
			 Table 2: Entrants1 domiciled2 in Warrington North constituency, UK higher education institutions, academic years 2009/10 to 2012/13 
			 Domicile 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Warrington North constituency 1,330 1,220 965 
			 1 Entrants refers to students in their first year of study, on full-time and part-time courses, at undergraduate and postgraduate level. 2 Domicile refers to a students’ home or permanent address prior to starting their course. Source: HESA Student Record.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which there is a gender imbalance in the composition of Local Enterprise Partnership boards.

Michael Fallon: Local enterprise partnerships (LEP) board membership is a matter for LEPs themselves and they are best placed to ensure it meets the needs of their businesses and local people.

Mining

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the importance of transparency in the extractive industries.

Jennifer Willott: The coalition Government believes strongly that transparency in the extractives sector is essential to ensure that citizens in resource-rich countries can benefit from the wealth generated from the extraction of their natural resources. This is why we supported the EU’s proposal to require large and listed extractive industries companies to report on the payments they make to governments; and why the UK has signed up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
	The Government continues to raise awareness of the importance of transparency in the extractive industries. Over the past year key steps have been taken to raise awareness of the UK’s commitment to become EITI-compliant. This includes the launch event in July 2013 held at BIS with 130 attendees from industry, civil society and government. The Multi Stakeholder Group (MSG) has been formed which plays a key part in making the decisions on UK implementation. A website for the UK’s EITI has been developed, a link can be found here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-extractive-industries-transparency-initiative-multi-stakeholder-group
	My hon. Friend the Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson), published an article in the EITI Telegraph supplement on Sunday 6 October 2013, explaining the UK’s rationale for committing to EITI. Most recently, the Prime Minister in an article dated 4 June and published in The Wall Street Journal, called on government leaders to work towards a global standard in transparency reporting.
	I spoke at the EITI mining event which took place at the Institute for Materials, Minerals & Mining (IMMM) on the 12 June. This event was directed at key mining stakeholders who we need to engage in EITI.
	During the consultation period of Chapter 10 of the Accounting Directive my department held familiarisation sessions with stakeholders which provided an opportunity to learn more about the reporting requirements of the Directive and explain the UK’s proposed approach to implementation. The consultation closed on Friday 16 May and officials are currently analysing the responses received.
	The Government will take every opportunity to drive forward this important agenda.

New Businesses: Loans

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Start Up Loans applications have been supported by each approved provider of Start Up Loans mentoring services in each region in which the new company was based or planned to be based. [Official Report, 17 June 2014, Vol. 582, c. 3MC.]

Michael Fallon: All loan recipients in all regions receiving a start-up loan are offered mentoring, although take up of support services is not a mandatory condition of making the facility available. The number of loans made in each region will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Equal Opportunities

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants;
	(2)  what consideration No. 10 Downing Street gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Prime Ministers Office are an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	This Government procures on the basis of value for money. Departments and the Crown Commercial Service will ensure that social, economic and sustainability issues are considered in procurement projects and that specifications, terms and conditions and evaluation criteria are developed to ensure that the relevant issues are addressed as appropriate for the subject matter of the requirements.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to publish a white paper in advance of the next strategic defence and security review.

Oliver Letwin: The next strategic defence and security review will span the period of the next election. A decision is yet to be taken on the final approach.

Arrest Warrants

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited to the UK for tax offences under a European Arrest Warrant in each of the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been involved in 42 cases where people have been surrendered to the UK for tax offences since 2008-09 on a European Arrest Warrant.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2008-09 6 
			 2009-10 12 
			 2010-11 5 
			 2011-12 5 
			 2012-13 7 
			 2013-14 3 
			 2014-15 4 
		
	
	These figures do not represent all cases involving tax offences, as other EAWs which may include tax offences were not dealt with by HMRC and are not recorded separately.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of staff within her Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British;
	(2)  what proportion of staff within her Department who have been dismissed following formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.

Karen Bradley: Table 1 provides information on the proportion of staff within the Home Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last four financial years (2009-10 to 2012-13) and who were white. It is planned that information for 2013-14 will be published in January 2015.
	It has not been possible to provide information further broken down as white British staff as historical data is not collated in this way and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Individuals can be dismissed for a variety of reasons (such as conduct, performance, or attendance). It is not possible to identify those dismissed following disciplinary proceedings without incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 Table 1: Proportion of white staff within the Home Office subject to disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years1 
			 Headcount (percentage) 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Proportion of Department who declared themselves as white and were subject to disciplinary proceedings (percentage) 0.57 0.84 0.74 0.54 n/a 
			 1Those employees who declare their Ethnic Origin as White include: English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British/Gypsy or Irish Traveller/Irish/Other White Background. Unfortunately it has not been possible to break down this response into White British without incurring a disproportionate cost. Data Source: Data View—the Home Office’s single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data linked to manual spreadsheets collated locally by HR Business Partner teams during the year relating to the disciplinary process. Period Covered: Data is provided as at 31 March for each year. Extraction Date: 1 April for each retrospective year. Organisational Coverage: Figures are for the Home Office and its Executive agencies in each financial year. Please see each year's annual report and accounts for the composition of the Department. Employee Coverage: Data includes all employees involved in a misconduct case that had an outcome or hearing date during the relevant financial year. Link: Misconduct data is included in each year's Departmental Employment Monitoring Report. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employment-monitoring-report

Drugs: Convictions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to ensure that convictions are brought for possession of large quantities of illegal drugs.

Norman Baker: Action to restrict drug supply, including the investigation of drug offences and enabling the prosecution of those responsible, is a priority for law enforcement and other regulatory agencies. It is important that the courts are able to consider all the circumstances of any offence and offender which is why law enforcement agencies work closely with their prosecutors to provide the courts with the best evidence of an offence, presented in the most effective way.
	In addition to prosecution, law enforcement agencies and the Criminal Justice System in the UK have at their discretion a number of disposals available to deal with drug-related offenders, including referral for drug treatment. This ensures that a robust and proportionate enforcement approach can be taken, which gives due regard to the public interest.

Human Trafficking: Albania

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from what region of Albania the women referred to the victim support scheme operated by the Salvation Army in (a) February 2014 and (b) April 2014 came from; what evidence from cluster data she has to explain why most of them were pregnant when they were discovered in the UK; what steps she is taking to prevent access to the UK without the necessary visas by such Albanian nationals; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office and Ministry of Justice jointly fund a national support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales. This contract is delivered by the Salvation Army. The service is open to potential adult victims of human trafficking (including those from Albania), identified through referral to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The Salvation Army and its sub-contractors work with victims of human trafficking from the moment they are placed in support accommodation to help them consider their support needs and their plans to move on from the service.
	The Home Office does not hold data on the regions that Albanian women referred to the Salvation Army are from. This information is only held within individual case records and can only be accessed through manual search. Similarly, we do not hold data on the reasons for pregnancy of women referred to the NRM. The Government recognises that effective reintegration support for victims is vital to help them move on with their lives and to prevent them from being exploited in the future. In addition, the Government is looking at what more that can be done to support victims, including supporting them to return to their home country where appropriate.
	The Government is working closely with the Albanian Government to combat trafficking and support victims. In November 2013, the UK Government and the Albanian Government, working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), established a voluntary return package for female victims of trafficking who wished to return to Albania. This package includes the provision of secure accommodation in Albania (with guards and social services on site), child care assistance where required, and training or support to establish a business or enter the labour market. This provides the support and assistance required for victims who wish to return to Albania to rebuild their lives. The Albanian Government is also putting in place comprehensive measures to tackle trafficking, such as the establishment of a National Referral Mechanism and a dedicated police unit to tackle trafficking.
	Albanians are visa nationals and as such they require a visa to enter the UK for any purpose. We have Risk and Airline Liaison Overseas Network staff posted around the world to assist carriers in identifying passengers that do not have the correct documents to enter the UK. We also have Border Force staff operating UK immigration controls in France and Belgium who will refuse entry to those seeking to enter the UK without the correct documentation.

Police

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of cases that police have marked as requiring No Further Action in each of the last four years.

Norman Baker: The information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office. Until recently, information has only been collected on crime outcomes that involve action being taken by the police. These were part of the former detections framework before 2013/14, and the new outcomes framework after that.
	In April 2014, a new, broader crime outcomes framework was introduced, providing much greater transparency on how crimes are resolved by the police. This framework includes all scenarios where no further action was taken by the police. From April 2014 onwards, data is being collected on this new framework, and the first full set of statistics will be published in July 2015.

Telecommunications: Databases

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 437W, on telecommunications: databases, whether she has yet completed her assessment of (a) the consequences for the UK of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-293/12 and C-594/12 (Digital Rights Ireland and Seitlinger and Others) and (b) what implication that decision has for (i) enforcement of the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 and (ii) her powers to reimburse any expenses incurred by a public communications provider in complying with those regulations.

James Brokenshire: The Government continues to consider the judgment of the European Court. At the present time, we consider that the UK Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 remain in force. Those in receipt of a notice under the regulations have been informed that they should continue to observe their obligations as outlined in any notice.

Telecommunications: Databases

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether her Department has provided any advice to public communications providers on the consequences of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Digital Rights Ireland and Seitlinger and Others on data retention by those companies;
	(2)  whether public communications providers have sought advice from her Department on the consequences of the decision of the European Court of Justice in Digital Rights Ireland and Seitlinger and Others on data retention by those companies.

James Brokenshire: The Government continues to consider the judgment of the European Court, but we consider that the UK Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 remain in force. Those in receipt of a notice under the regulations have been informed that they should continue to observe their obligations as outlined in any notice.

Arts: Education

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent meetings he has had with educational organisations to discuss arts, music and culture in schools;
	(2)  what recent meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Education to discuss arts, music and culture in schools.

Edward Vaizey: The Minister for Education and Childcare, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), and I jointly chair a Cultural Education Board, focused on cultural and music education, at which schools and arts organisations are represented. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), routinely discusses a wide range of issues with his counterparts in other Government Departments.

Sports: North West

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of how many adults in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) East Lancashire and (c) the North West have taken part in at least one sporting activity each week in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  2009 (APS3) 2010 (APS4) 2011 (APS5) 2012 (APS6) 2013 (APS7) 
			 Pendle (LA) 20,600 23,100 21,400 22,600 24,200 
			 Lancashire 410,000 405,300 409,500 415,000 420,600 
			 North West 2,007,800 1,996,700 1,986,000 2,066,500 2,055,800 
		
	
	Participation data is from the Active People Survey which measures the number of people aged 16 and above taking part in sport in England.

Contracts: HM Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what financial penalties have been incurred by G4S in relation to its contract to run HM Prison Birmingham since 13 April 2012;
	(2)  what financial penalties have been incurred by G4S in relation to its contract to run HM Prison Oakwood since 13 April 2012;
	(3)  what financial penalties have been incurred by Serco in relation to its contract for running of HM Prison & Young Offenders Institution Doncaster since 13 April 2011;
	(4)  what financial penalties have been incurred by Serco in relation to its contract to run HM Prison Dovegate since May 2010;
	(5)  what financial penalties have been incurred by Sodexo Ltd in relation to its contract to run HM Prison Northumberland.

Jeremy Wright: No liquidated damages (financial penalties) have been incurred by Sodexo Ltd in relation to its contract at HMP Northumberland. During the mobilisation period from service commencement date 1 December 2013 to 30 May 2014 no performance points apply. The next performance quarter is due to report in September 2014.
	Please find the responses to the above questions in the following tables.
	
		
			   Q1** Q2** Q3** Q4** Annual** 
			 2012-13 Performance indicators Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) 
			 Dovegate Non-compliance with procedures 85  35  10  40  80  
		
	
	
		
			  Incidents 0  0  10  0  0  
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Baseline total 133  133  133  137  0  
			  Actual total 85 0 35 0 20 0 40 0 80 0 
			             
			 Doncaster Non-compliance with procedures 0  0  0  0  2- 2- 
			  Incidents 0  0  0  0  2- 2- 
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 0  0  13  3  2- 2- 
			  Baseline total 0  0  0  0  2- 2- 
			  Actual total 0 0 0 0 13 5,672 3 1,260 2- 2- 
			             
			 Oakwood Non-compliance with procedures 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 7  2- 2- 
			  Incidents 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 0  2- 2- 
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 90  2- 2- 
			  Baseline total 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 0  2- 2- 
			  Actual total 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 97 45,299 2- 2- 
			             
			 Birmingham Non-compliance with procedures 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 0  
			  Incidents 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 0  
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 135  
			  Baseline total 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 0  
			  Actual total 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 2- 135 95,135 
			 * Total points accrued. Note, data excludes credit points awarded. Financial penalties only apply if baseline targets exceeded. ** Periods relate to Contractual Periods not Financial Periods. 1 Prison not in operational service. 2 Performance measure not applicable. 
		
	
	
		
			   Q1** Q2** Q3** Q4** Annual** 
			 2013-14 Performance indicators Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) Points* Value (£) 
			 Dovegate Non-compliance with procedures 40  250  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Incidents 0  10  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 0  20  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Baseline total 133  133  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Actual total 40 0 280 31,485 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			             
			 Doncaster Non-compliance with procedures 50  50  0  0  0  
			  Incidents 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 10  4  6  27  0  
			  Baseline total 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Actual total 60 25,468 54 23,200 6 2,528 27 11,233 147 62,429 
			             
			 Oakwood Non-compliance with procedures 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Incidents 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 10.35  0  0  0  0  
			  Baseline total 0  0  0  0  0  
			  Actual total 10.35 5,105 0 0 0 0 0 0 10.35 5,105 
			             
		
	
	
		
			 Birmingham Non-compliance with procedures 65.7  40  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Incidents 0  0  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Non-compliance with prison regime 0  0  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Baseline total 0  0  1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			  Actual total 65.7 40,191 40 24,794 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 1- 
			 * Total points accrued. Note, data excludes credit points awarded. Financial penalties only apply if baseline targets exceeded. ** Periods relate to Contractual Periods not Financial Periods 1 The performance points are being validated and agreed upon and will be available later in the year. 
		
	
	It is important to note that performance points are essentially about operational efficiency, and at no point has public safety been at risk. There are no significant historical trends in the attached figures and it is fair to say that privately managed prisons achieve the majority of their contractual targets with proportionately low levels of performance points and financial remedies applied as a result. The data for each contract is closely monitored by MOJ staff and any emerging or sustained performance failures are discussed in detail with the relevant contractor in order to rectify performance shortfalls as quickly as possible.

Contracts: Secure Training Centres

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what financial penalties have been incurred by G4S in relation to its contract to run the Medway Secure Training Centre since May 2010;
	(2)  what financial penalties have been incurred by Serco in relation to its contract to run Hassockfield Secure Training Centre since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: No financial penalties have been levied against G4S in relation to its operations at Medway Secure Training Centre since 2010-11.
	On the question of what financial penalties have been levied against Serco in relation to its operations at Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in each year since 2010-11, see following table.
	The data presented is based on total number of performance points accrued for the relevant periods. Financial remedies are only applicable when performance point baseline targets are exceeded for the period.
	
		
			   Hassockfield Secure Training Centre 
			   Points Baseline Service credit (£) 
			 2010-11 Q3 70 150 0.00 
			  Q4 150 150 0.00 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 Q1 110 137 0.00 
			  Q2 10 137 0.00 
			  Q3 160 137 491.45 
			  Q4 160 137 498.73 
			      
			 2012-13 Q1 60 125 0.00 
			  Q2 105 125 0.00 
			  Q3 20 125 0.00 
			  Q4 125 125 0.00 
			      
			 2013-14 Q1 230 112 2,254.80 
			  Q2 20 112 0.00 
			  Q3 70 112 0.00 
			  Q4 30 112 0.00 
			      
			 2014-15 Q1 30 100 0.00 
			  Q2 80 100 0.00 
			 Note: Quarter's are based upon contract anniversary dates: Q1 is from October-December; Q2 is from January-March; Q3 is from April-June; and, Q4 is from July-September. 
		
	
	It is important to note that performance points are essentially about operational efficiency, and at no point has public safety been at risk. There are no significant historical trends in the attached figures and it is fair to say that privately managed secure training centres achieve the majority of their contractual targets with proportionately low levels of performance points and financial remedies applied as a result. The data for each contract is closely monitored by Youth Justice Board and Ministry of Justice staff and any emerging or sustained performance failures are discussed in detail with the relevant contractor in order to rectify performance shortfalls as quickly as possible.

Open Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were held in open prisons on 1 May (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

Jeremy Wright: The following table identifies the total population of predominant function open prisons as at the last Friday in April in each year from 2010 to 2014.This includes open female prisons, open young offender institutions and the relevant open parts of multi-site establishments performing different functions; it does not include those held in non-predominant function open prisons or in small open units at closed prisons.
	
		
			  Total population in predominant function open prisons 
			 2010 4,655 
			 2011 4,711 
			 2012 4,911 
			 2013 4,993 
			 2014 5,041 
		
	
	Open prisons have been used since 1936, because they are the most effective means of ensuring that prisoners are suitably risk-assessed before they are released into the community under appropriate licence conditions. These prisons also provide effective supervision for prisoners who do not require the security conditions of the closed estate, because they have been assessed as having a low risk of harm to the public and a low risk of absconding by NOMS and/or the independent Parole Board.
	Indeterminate sentence prisoners located in open conditions have been risk assessed and categorised as being of a low enough risk to the public to warrant their placement in an open prison. They will have previously spent time in prisons with higher levels of security, before being transferred to open conditions if recommended by the Parole Board—or directed through NOMS.
	The main purpose of open conditions is to test prisoners in conditions more similar to those that they will face in the community. Time spent in open prisons affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For many prisoners who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these can assist in their successful reintegration in the community and protecting the public. To release these prisoners directly from a closed prison without the resettlement benefits of the open estate could lead to higher levels of post-release reoffending. The reoffending rates of those released from open prisons are low when compared to all prisoners released from custody in England and Wales.
	The public have understandable concerns in the light of recent high profile absconds. Keeping the public safe is our priority and we will not allow the actions of a small minority of offenders to undermine public confidence in the prison system. The number of prisoners absconding has reached record lows, down from 952 absconds in 1995-96 (the first year for which this data is available) to 204 in 2012-13, but we take each and every incident seriously. The Government has already ordered immediate changes to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. With immediate effect, prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions if they have previously absconded from open prisons; or absconded or reoffended while released on temporary licence.

Open Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners in open prisons have previously absconded or escaped from prison;
	(2)  how many prisoners in an open prison have previously breached a licence condition while released on temporary licence.

Jeremy Wright: Keeping the public safe is our priority. That is why this Government has taken action on both releases on temporary licence (ROTL) and absconds from prison.
	We commissioned a fundamental review of ROTL policy and practice last year and, in March, announced a package of measures to ensure that the public was properly protected. We have brought forward some of those measures so that they take effect immediately; particularly with more serious offenders, where the review concluded that an enhanced risk assessment approach should be taken.
	Absconds have reached record lows under this Government but each incident is taken seriously. Immediate changes have already been ordered to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. Prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions or allowed out on temporary release if they have previously absconded.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which countries the UK is currently negotiating prisoner transfer agreements.

Jeremy Wright: Prisoner transfer agreements can be a sensitive issue for some countries and it could be counter-productive to reveal details of discussions before they are concluded. However, I can assure you that my ministerial colleagues and I are actively engaging with a number of countries and remain determined to secure compulsory agreements wherever possible.
	All foreign national offenders sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The Prisoner Transfer process is just one mechanism for removing Foreign National Offenders. The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Ministerial visits to foreign countries during which prisoner transfer agreements were discussed took place (a) between May 1997 and May 2010 and (b) since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Ministers across government pro-actively raise the prospect of PTAs when they are visiting countries where we have significant numbers of Foreign National Offenders. The issue is also raised when Ministers and senior officials from overseas visit the United Kingdom. We do not hold a central record of all the occasions PTAs have been raised in discussion.
	All foreign national offenders sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The Prisoner Transfer process is just one mechanism for removing Foreign National Offenders. The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent staff of his Department were working on prisoner transfer agreements on 1 April (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014.

Jeremy Wright: Since 2010 there have been six officials in the MOJ and NOMS who spend a significant proportion of their time in relation to obtaining and supporting the implementation of Prisoner Transfer Arrangements (PTAs). These officials cover policy, operational and legal roles. This work is a high priority and there is coordinated director level input across government with Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Home Office (HO) officials contributing to the objective to get compulsory PTAs.
	All foreign national offenders sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The Prisoner Transfer process is just one mechanism for removing Foreign National Offenders. The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme {ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with which countries and on what dates the UK has (a) signed and (b) ratified prisoner transfer agreements (i) between May 1997 and May 2010 and (ii) since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Table 1: Prisoner Transfer Arrangements (PTAs) signed between May 1997 and May 2010 
			 Country Date of signature Date came into force Voluntary or Compulsory Agreement (i.e. consent of prisoner required or not) 
			 Antigua and Barbuda 23 June 2003 20 January 2004 Voluntary 
			 Barbados 3 April 2002 2 March 2003 Voluntary 
		
	
	
		
			 Brazil 20 August 1998 11 December 2001 Voluntary 
			 Cuba 13 June 2002 2 July 2003 Voluntary 
			 Commonwealth of Dominica 2 May 2006 1— Voluntary 
			 Dominican Republic 18 February 2003 1— Voluntary 
			 Ghana 17 July 2008 17 July 2008 Voluntary 
			 Hong Kong SAR 5 November 1997 19 March 1998 Voluntary 
			 India 18 February 2005 21 November 2005 Voluntary 
			 Jamaica 26 June 2007 1— Voluntary 
			 Laos 7 May 2009 25 September 2009 Voluntary 
			 Lesotho (provisionally applied on signature) 6 June 2007 1— Voluntary 
			 Libya 17 November 2008 29 April 2009 Compulsory 
			 Morocco 21 February 2002 1 July 2013 Voluntary 
			 Nicaragua 6 September 2005 1— Voluntary 
			 Pakistan 24 August 2007 19 August 2008 Voluntary 
			 Peru 7 March 2003 11 September 2003 Voluntary 
			 Rwanda 11 February 2010 23 November 2010 Compulsory 
			 St. Lucia 27 April 2006 17 June 2008 Voluntary 
			 Sri Lanka 6 February 2003 24 March 2004 Voluntary 
			 Suriname 29 June 2002 1— Voluntary 
			 Uganda 12 September 2008 1— Voluntary 
			 Venezuela 12 June 2012 15 April 2003 Voluntary 
			 Vietnam 12 September 2008 20 September 2009 Voluntary 
			 1 Not in force. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Prisoner Transfer Arrangements (PTAs) signed May 2010 to date 
			 Country Date of signature Date came into force Voluntary or Compulsory Agreement (i.e. consent of prisoner or not) 
			 Albania 15 January 2013 11 June 2013 Compulsory 
			 Nigeria 9 January 2014 1— Compulsory 
			 Saudi Arabia 2 January 2012 2 July 2012 Voluntary 
			 Somaliland (Memorandum of Understanding rather than a PTA) 16 April 2014 16 April 2014 Compulsory 
			 United Arab Emirates 24 January 2013 2 February 2014 Voluntary 
			 1 Not in force—Nigerian PTA will shortly be in force. We are awaiting final exchange of diplomatic notes. First transfers are expected by the end of this calendar year (2014). 
		
	
	In addition to the bilateral prisoner transfer arrangements listed above the United Kingdom became a party to the following multi-party arrangements:
	The Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons
	Signed: 9 February 2009 Entered into Force: 1 November 2009
	Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA of the 27 November 2008 on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgments in criminal matters imposing custodial sentences or measures involving deprivation of liberty for the purpose of their enforcement in the European Union
	Adopted: 27 November 2008 Entered into force: 5 December 2011
	All foreign national offenders sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The Prisoner Transfer process is just one mechanism for removing Foreign National Offenders. The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether EU nationals sentenced before 5 December 2011 are eligible for repatriation under the EU Prisoner Transfer Agreement.

Jeremy Wright: Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA (The “EU PTA”) entered into force on 5 December 2011. To date 18 Member states, including the UK, have implemented the Agreement. The remainder are expected to do so by the end of this year (2014). Article 28 (2) of the EU PTA enables member states to issue a declaration restricting application of the agreement to persons sentenced on or after 5 December 2011. To date four member states (Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, and Poland) have made declarations under Article 28 (2).
	All foreign national offenders sentenced to custody are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	The Prisoner Transfer process is just one mechanism for removing Foreign National Offenders. The number of FNOs deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisons: Discipline

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of each type were recorded on the Incident Reporting System in (a) privately and (b) publicly run prisons in each month since 1 January 2014.

Jeremy Wright: The Incident Reporting System is used by establishments to record events that undermine the safety of those within an establishment and/or subvert the authority or effectiveness of the establishment's regimes or facilities.
	There is a range of incident types recorded on this system and the data needs to undergo validation and assurance before being published. To undertake this on each incident type that is reported takes time and so I will write to you when this information is available for the latest period.

Prisons: Employment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many jobs have been created by One3One Solutions (a) in England and Wales and (b) in each Prison Service region in each of the last four years;
	(2)  how many prisoners were in employment provided by One3One Solutions in (a) England and Wales and (b) each Prison Service region in each of the last four years.

Jeremy Wright: Information is not available to identify separately prison work places specifically attributed to ONE3ONE Solutions, as prisoner work is sourced both by the central ONE3ONE team and by prisons locally.
	The number of prisoners working in industrial activity in public sector prisons in England and Wales increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This was achieved without increasing operating costs to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
	Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they provided work for some 1,200 prisoners in 2012-13.
	In addition, there are substantial number of prisoners who work in prisons on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.
	Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS annual report management information addendum, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf
	Historical data broken down by Prison Service region would need to be extracted from different management information systems, quality checked, recorded and formatted. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Serco

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what financial penalties have been incurred by Serco in relation to its contract to deliver the NOMS/European Social Fund project aimed at improving employability prospects of offenders and ex-offenders in the South East region since 1 January 2011.

Jeremy Wright: Serco have incurred no financial penalties in respect of this contract since it commenced on 1 January 2011.

Cancer

David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with Public Health England over a possible nationwide roll-out of the recent Be Clear on Cancer pilot study for oesophago-gastric cancer in the North East.

Jane Ellison: We want to lead the world in cancer care and are investing over £750 million, over four years up till 2014-15, including £450 million in the early diagnosis of cancer, including oesophago-gastric cancers.
	The earlier diagnosis money is designed to support earlier diagnosis of cancer by improving public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms through centrally-funded Be Clear on Cancer campaigns; increasing general practitioner access to key diagnostic tests; and, to pay for extra testing and treatment in secondary care.
	Be Clear on Cancer campaigns are tested at a local and regional level, before a decision is taken on whether to run them nationally throughout England. Following a local pilot which ran from April to July 2012, we ran a regional Be Clear on Cancer pilot campaign from 10 February to 9 March 2014 raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of oesophago-gastric cancer in the north-east and north Cumbria. The campaign included television, radio, press and outdoor advertising. The findings of this pilot are being evaluated by Public Health England, who works closely with the Department and NHS England to ensure that health care professionals are targeted with campaign information to encourage earlier diagnoses and referrals, before a decision is taken on whether to roll out the campaign nationally throughout England.

Continuing Care

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group takes account of evidence from (a) patients, (b) clinicians and (c) patient groups when making decisions on the availability of treatments for progressive conditions.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has advised that the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) is an advisory group and not a decision making body. It considers policy and makes recommendations to the Directly Commissioned Services Committee who make the final decisions on NHS England's commissioning position.
	The group's membership includes four Patient and Public Voice members and senior clinicians from NHS England. The policies that are presented to CPAG for consideration are developed by Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) who are made up of patients, clinicians, and key stakeholders including patient groups. These members are involved in the development of policies.
	Prior to submission of any documents to CPAG, a two week stakeholder testing phase is undertaken where registered CRG stakeholders including clinicians, patients, and patient groups, as well as industry, have an opportunity to make comments. These are considered as well as the evidence base for the policy by CPAG.

Eyesight

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had eye tinnitus in the latest period figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: This data is not collected.
	We understand the term 'eye tinnitus' stems from a recent study which claims to have identified this new condition in a set of patients previously diagnosed as suffering from migraines or other neurological disorders.

General Practitioners

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training places for general practice were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: The Department set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. HEE is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing workforce, the impact of technology, and new drugs.
	The Department has recognised the need to increase the general practitioner (GP) workforce and between September 2010 and September 2013 the number of full-time equivalent GPs has risen by 1,051. Additionally, the Department has included in the HEE mandate a requirement that “HEE will ensure that 50% of trainees completing foundation level training enter GP training programmes by 2016”.
	Further work is being undertaken by HEE to improve applications and fill rate in to GP training to support the mandate target of 3,250 appointments into GP training by 2016 in England. This includes a review of the GP recruitment process, developing a pre-GP year to give exposure to prospective GP applicants of the specialty and careers advice for foundation doctors and medical students.
	In recognition of the contribution the GP workforce makes in the NHS, HEE will also undertake additional work on GP recruitment and retention, return to practice and reducing attrition rates, all of which will play a part in increasing the GP workforce.
	The following table indicates the number of posts commissioned and filled and the fill rate for GP training in England for the last five years. The numbers of posts have been increased for 2014 to 3,043 to support the Government’s mandate requirement for HEE to increase GP training.
	
		
			  Posts commissioned Posts filled Percentage filled 
			 2010 2,732 2,800 102.49 
			 2011 2,672 2,658 99.48 
			 2012 2,687 2,669 99.33 
			 2013 2,761 2,738 99.17 
			 2014 3,043 2,630 89.27 
			 Source: HEE data. 
		
	
	Deferment resulting from factors such as maternity leave can cause a higher than 100% fill rate in some years.

General Practitioners

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of being able to access a GP appointment within 48 hours on levels of patient satisfaction.

Daniel Poulter: Overall patient satisfaction is driven by a range of factors, including accessing a general practitioner (GP) appointment at a convenient time, ability to see a preferred GP and the quality of the conversation with the GP.
	The Government recognises the importance of timely access to general practice. The PM Challenge Fund has allocated £50 million to pilot ways to improve access around the country, to give GPs the flexibility to meet the needs of the local population.
	In addition, the new GP contract introduced a new enhanced service, which includes a commitment to same day phone consultations with a professional in the GP surgery, where necessary, for the most at risk in the population.

Health Services: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to discuss the proposed closure of (a) minor injuries units at Guisborough and East Cleveland Hospitals, (b) Skelton Medical Centre, (c) Park End Clinic and (d) Skelton NHS Walk-in-Centre.

Daniel Poulter: These are matters for the local national health service. The hon. Member should engage with the NHS at a local level.
	This Government is committed to devolving decision-making about local NHS services to local clinicians and communities. It is general practitioners clinicians, patients and local authorities who are best placed to determine the nature of their NHS services.

Hepatitis

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to include a specific hepatitis C indicator in the public health outcomes framework.

Jane Ellison: The public health outcomes framework for 2013-16 (PHOF) already includes an indicator on under 75 mortality rate from liver disease (PHOF indicator 4.6), which is shared with the NHSOF (indicator 1.3) and an indicator on mortality from communicable diseases (indicator 4.8). Both of these indicators cover hepatitis C.
	In support of these indicators, Public Health England is working to reverse the current trend in hepatitis C, so that the rates of death and disability are reduced, including working with local authorities and the NHS in those areas with high levels of hepatitis C to put effective strategies in place.
	The Department is not planning to add new indicators to the PHOF until April 2016 to provide local authorities with stability in planning and commissioning public health interventions. The Department is planning to begin a review of the current PHOF in 2015.

Hepatitis

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that people who are homeless are (a) able to access hepatitis C services and (b) supported in completing treatment for that condition;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to improve hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment rates among (a) South Asian populations, (b) homeless people, (c) injecting drug users and (d) other at-risk groups.

Jane Ellison: The commissioning of local Hepatitis C services, including bespoke services for homeless people or other at-risk groups, is the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). NHS England expects that decisions made by local CCGs will take account of the needs of their local populations.
	A range of materials has been published to help CCGs commission relevant services. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance on improving uptake of testing and diagnosis for hepatitis C in risk groups. Public Health England has published a commissioning template to support commissioning of hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment services. Guidance for commissioning bespoke services for homeless people has been published by the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health.
	The Department supports the Inclusion Health programme which champions the health and health care of vulnerable groups, including homeless people. The programme seeks to improve the health data for these groups, and set out practical steps for assessing needs (eg through Joint Strategic Need Assessments) and commissioning services. We are also involved in funding work in this area through the Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund to improve hospital discharge arrangements for people who are homeless (£10 million 2013-14) and £40 million capital fund for hostel refurbishment with a focus on improving health outcomes (2014-15).

Home Care Services

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that high-cost drugs are delivered to cystic fibrosis patients on time;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the commissioning of homecare services by the NHS.

Daniel Poulter: It is important that patients, including those with cystic fibrosis, get those high cost drugs provided through homecare services on time.
	The Department commissioned a review of homecare medicine supply arrangements to ensure they deliver the best value for patients, the National Health Service and the provider market. The review report, Homecare Medicines: Towards a Vision for the Future, was published in December 2011 and is available at:
	http://media.dh.gov.uk/network/121/files/2011/12/111201-Homecare-Medicines-Towards-a-Vision-for-the-Future2.pdf
	The outcome of subsequent improvement work is summarised in the further report, Homecare Medicines: Towards a Vision for the Future—Taking Forward the Recommendations, published in May 2014 and available at:
	www.uhns.nhs.uk/AboutUs/NHSHomecareMedicinesinEngland.aspx
	NHS England issued a patient safety alert on minimising the risks of omitted and delayed medicines for patients receiving homecare services on 10 April 2014. This recommended that all health care organisations that commission clinical homecare services:
	establish if medicine homecare services were used by their organisation and if incidents of omitted and delayed medicines had occurred;
	consider whether immediate action needed to be taken locally and, if required, develop an action plan, to reduce risk and the potential risk to patients;
	disseminate the alert to all medical, nursing, pharmacy and other staff involved in the care of homecare patients; and
	report patient safety incidents concerning homecare to the National Reporting and Learning Service.
	A copy of the patient safety alert is available at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/psa-omitted-delayed-meds.pdf
	The Department continues to work with NHS England, homecare companies, pharmaceutical suppliers and the NHS to ensure that homecare arrangements are safe and deliver value for the NHS and improved outcomes for patients.

Human Papillomavirus

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) women and (b) men have cancers caused by the human papilloma virus.

Jane Ellison: At present the number of people living with Human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers is not known for several reasons:
	there is no nationally collated database of individual patients’ records containing the HPV status of their cancers;
	prevalence figures are not known for all types of cancer i.e. the number of people who have been diagnosed and are still alive; and
	many people alive after treatment of cancer will have been cured and will not consider themselves to be still living with a cancer.
	However it has been estimated by Parkin1 that the number of new cases per year, of cancers in the United Kingdom, which may be HPV related as 5,088 (1.6% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases). Of these 4,058 are females and 1,030 are males. This is based on incidence rates for 2010.
	1 Parkin, D M. Cancers attributable to infection in the UK in 2010
	British Journal of Cancer (2011) 105, S49 – S56; doi:10.1038/bjc.2011.484
	Public Health England (PHE) has calculated a prevalence estimate for the number of women who are currently alive following treatment of their cervical cancer and this is at least 19,000. Many of these will be cured.
	Later this year PHE will publish prevalence estimates i.e. the number of people living with the other types of HPV related cancers.

Medical Records: Databases

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the statement on the What About Youth? website that approval has been received to use young people's contact details from NHS registration data and the National Pupil Database, when that data was supplied; and on what register the decision to disclose that data was recorded.

Daniel Poulter: On behalf of the Department, the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) has commissioned the “What about Youth?” trial survey to test the processes and methodology. It was carried out by Ipsos Mori and ran from November 2013 to February 2014. The trial survey was posted to just under 7,000 younger people using information obtained from the Medical Research Information Service Integrated Database and Administration System, approval for which was obtained on 15 August 2013 via the HSCIC Data Linkage and Extract Services application process:
	http://www.hscic.gov.uk/dlesaac
	The decision to approve the request for provision of an extract will be included in the next Data Release Register due in early July.
	The National Pupil Database (NPD) is a Department for Education resource. HSCIC gained approval to use NPD data by applying via the formal process:
	https://www.gov.uk/national-pupil-database-apply-for-a-data-extract#approval-process
	and received approval to use NPD for the trial survey on 18 March 2014; however, this was too late for the trial and the data were not used. Ipsos Mori was granted access to the extract on 10 April. The decision to approve the request for provision of an extract is shown on row 139 of the “National pupil database: requests received” at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-requests-received

Mental Health Services: Young People

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 572W, on mental health services: children, when he expects NHS England's review of Tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to be published.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 460W, on mental health services: young people, when NHS England's review of Tier 4 Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services provision will be published.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton), on 9 June 2014, Official Report, column 57W.

Prisoners: HIV Infection

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of HIV were reported in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last four years.

Jane Ellison: The following table provides information on the number of adults (aged 15 and above) identified as being resident in prison at the time they received human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment from specialist services. The source of the data provided is the Survey of Prevalent HIV Infection.
	
		
			  Number of prisoners 
			 2009 184 
			 2010 176 
			 2011 190 
			 2012 181 
			 Notes: 1. Prisoners were identified if an adult's residential postcode was a prison postcode. However, the completeness and accuracy depends on clinicians' reports. Although completeness of full postcode is high (>90%) in each of these four years, it is still possible that partial postcode, missing postcode or clinic postcode instead of residential postcode was provided. This may lead to an underestimate of numbers in the table. 2. Data on patients (including prisoners) seen for care at non-national health service funded services are not included. 3. Prisoners with a short sentence might be seen for care after release and therefore not captured in this table. 
		
	
	Recording of prison status is not routine and numbers are likely to be under-reported. This data does not imply that transmission of infection happened while the person was in prison or that the diagnosis was made during the period of incarceration.
	Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset data shows that the number of new HIV infections diagnosed in serving prisoners in England in 2011 was nine and in 2012 was 17.

Prisoners: Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidences of sexually transmitted diseases were reported in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last four years.

Jane Ellison: Data on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are now sourced from the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset, Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) services return. Data from GUM clinics on prisoners are unavailable prior to 2011.
	For the most recent two years for which data is available, the following table shows all new STI diagnoses among prisoners in England. Data from Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset relate only to GUM services which are located in England.
	
		
			 Number 
			  20111 20122 
			 Chlamydia (GUM clinic diagnoses only, all ages) 97 155 
			 Gonorrhoea 11 19 
			 Herpes: anogenital herpes (1st episode) 11 8 
			 Syphilis: primary, secondary and early latent <5 6 
			 Warts: anogenital warts (1st episode) 226 380 
			 All new STIs3 495 773 
		
	
	
		
			 HIV diagnoses 9 17 
			 1 Data on prisoners are significantly under-reported in 2011. 2 2012 data for chlamydia and all new STIs are not comparable to data from previous years. 3 All new STIs include new HIV infections diagnosed when a person was a prisoner, explained further at point 4 of the explanatory notes for table one. Notes: 1. Data follow calendar years (January to December), not financial years (April to March). 2. Data represent the number of diagnoses reported and not the number of people diagnosed. 3. 2012 data for chlamydia and "All new STIs" are not comparable to data from previous years. Chlamydia diagnoses made among prisoners in GUM clinics that were reported as "previously diagnosed at another service" have been excluded from 2012 data only. 4. Data for "All New STIs" include: chancroid; lymphogranuloma venerum (LGV); donovanosis; chlamydia; gonorrhoea; herpes: anogenital herpes (1st episode); HIV: new diagnosis; molluscum contagiosum; non-specific genital infection; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and epididymitis: non-specific; scabies; pediculus pubis; syphilis: primary, secondary and early latent; trichomoniasis and warts: anogenital warts (1st episode). 5. Data on prisoners are significantly under-reported in 2011 due to the phased introduction of Sexual Health and HIV Activity Property Types (SHHAPT) STI surveillance codes. 6. Number of diagnoses between 1 and 4 with a population <10,000 are presented as '<5' to prevent deductive disclosure. Please see link for further details on data sharing and confidentiality: www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1247816526850 
		
	
	The following table also contains the number of chlamydia diagnoses among prisoners aged 15 to 24 years in England for 2009-11. Data are sourced from the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP). Data from NCSP relate only to NCSP services which are located in England.
	
		
			 Number 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Chlamydia (NCSP diagnoses outside GUM clinics, 15 to 24 years only) 1,179 1,292 1,209 n/a 
			 Notes: 1. Chlamydia data from community services are sourced from the National Chlamydia Screening Programme for 2009-11 only. Since 2012, this data source has been replaced by a new laboratory reporting system (CTAD) that does not indicate diagnoses made among prisoners. 2. Data follow calendar years (January to December), not financial years (April to March). 3. Data represent the number of diagnoses reported and not the number of people diagnosed. 4. Data include chlamydia diagnoses from people aged 15 to 24 only.

Radioactive Waste: Fife

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reason is for the time taken for his Department to publish COMPARE’s report on radium contamination at Dalgety Bay.

Jane Ellison: The Department has been engaged with the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment throughout the production of its report on Dalgety Bay, and our priority throughout has been to make sure that it is comprehensive, accurate and up to date.
	During this process information was provided to the committee for due consideration prior to final publication.

Tobacco: Packaging

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he plans to publish the consultation referred to by the Minister of State for Health in his Department's announcement entitled Government Response to Tobacco Standardised Packaging Review, published in April 2014.

Jane Ellison: The consultation could not be published in the period leading up to the European and local elections. It is now being finalised and will be published shortly.